


DEArtFest

by AmeBot2038



Series: Detroit Evolution [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: #FakeDate, #StuckInACloset, #Touchstarved, #bodyswap, #enemiestolovers, #mutualpining, #roommates, #vacation, #whump, 5+1, Adoption, All Human AU, Alternate Ending, Amnesia, Android Gavin, Android army - Freeform, Angst, Bachelorette Party, Barista Nines, Better understanding, Broken Android, Coffeeshop AU, College, Crossover, DEArtfest, Dancing, Detention, Diary, Different CyberLife scene, Engagement, F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Future Detective Tina, GV200 - Freeform, Gavin and Tina, Gavin asks Nines out, Gavin misses Nines, Gavin with experience, Gay, Graphic Violence, High School, Honesty, Human Gavin, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Insecurity, Inspired by Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Jane Austen AU, Jazz - Freeform, Kinda amnesia again, Lost Memories, Love, M/M, Mafia AU, Major character death - Freeform, Mom wants a boyfriend for her son, New Colleague, Nines moving in, No see you again, Octopunk Media, Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Pacific Rim - Freeform, Pacific Rim AU, Parents, Power Couple, Pre-Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Prequel to Crossover fic, Pride and Prejudice References, Prince Gavin, Recap, Roaring Twenties, Royalty AU, Sadness, Self-Doubt, Servant Nines, Sexuality trouble, Sickfic, Soft Ending, Soldier Gavin, Soldiers, Soulmate AU, Strangers, Superstar, TLOU, TLOU again, The End, The Sims 4, Time Travel, Undercover, Undercover Missions, Vampire AU, Vampire Nines, Virtual Reality, Western, almost lovers, boys in suits, cuuuuute, first vacation, genderswap AU, happy end, hidden love, marina - Freeform, mermaid, merman, monster au, no happy ending, proposal, reset, savior, shipwrecked, soft, spoiling, surprised pikachu, vr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:41:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 34,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25004869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmeBot2038/pseuds/AmeBot2038
Summary: I'll go through all the prompts and upload every day a little chapter in order of the prompts. It doesn't make much sense to try to summarize everything. Just read it and have fun :)It'll be only Reed900 fanfics with mentioning other characters here and there. I changed the Rating and warnings for a few chapters. See the notes of each chapter for further information. The majority of stories are for general audience.
Relationships: Ada (Detroit: Evolution)/North (Detroit: Become Human), Tina Chen (Detroit: Become Human)/Valerie Morales-Chen, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Detroit Evolution [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012938
Comments: 88
Kudos: 106





	1. Reverse AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're here for some Chris Miller "I know two androids, they have to be a couple"-vibes ;)

Chris and GV200, also called Gavin, had been working together for many years and got along well. Chris appreciated the android very much for his calm and businesslike way of working. There was no one with whom you could solve cases better than with him. All the other employees knew this as well and so it was not surprising that everyone was immediately open-minded when one day a new android appeared at the headquarters of the DPD. RK900 stood in the office the white leather jacket of his uniform. GV200 walked towards the new android. He had already been informed by Fowler that a second android would soon be hired, and it was Gavin's job to welcome the new employee.  
"Good afternoon, RK900, I am GV200, also known as Gavin. I'll showing you around and helping you get settled in. If you need anything, please contact me," Gavin said with friendly distance.  
RK900 nodded and so GV200 began his tour of the precinct.

A little later, Rk900 stood in the Captain's office and got a briefing from him, too. Meanwhile, Gavin continued working on his case with Chris. Chris however was obviously distracted. He watched the new android thoughtfully.  
"You should ask him if you want to do something together after work," Chris finally said, tearing his partner out of his concentration.  
"What?" asked GV200 without understanding.  
He didn’t understand how Chris came up with this idea and didn't see the point.  
"You should do something together," Chris repeated.  
The android blinked several times, the LED glowing yellow while he tried to understand his partner.  
"Why should I?"  
"Well, you're both androids," Chris replied and gave his partner a very telling look which GV200 could interpret by now.  
"What does that have to do with anything? I don't have to make friends with him ... or anything else, just because he's an android," Gavin objected.  
Now Chris looked uncomprehending, as if that hadn't even occurred to him. Obviously two androids belonged together and just because he now knew two androids, they had to fall in love.  
"Do you only fancy female androids? Or people? Do you fancy anybody at all?" Chris asked overstrained.  
Without answering, GV200 turned back to his work. Chris also thankfully dropped the subject.

Gavin was not disturbed again until the end of work. He went over the day's findings in summary form and then closed the case file for now. After he had said goodbye to Chris, he took his jacket and turned to the exit. GV200 heard hurried footsteps behind him and a little later RK900 walked beside him.  
"How did your first day of work at the precinct go?" Gavin asked politely.  
"Very positive, everyone was very helpful and friendly. Still, I have some problems. I would like to come back to your offer and ask you to explain the work here a little more precisely, as I do not know the staff yet. This knowledge would be helpful to integrate myself better."  
GV200 stopped for a moment, Chris' words back in his ear. Maybe Gavin should approach to the new android. Chris probably thought that Gavin had no interest whatsoever in any kind of relationship, but Gavin did want friends... and maybe a partner. It was only important to him that he could rely on the person and not be left behind when things got difficult. Maybe that's how he could build a relationship with RK900. At least, they would understand each other when it came to the problems that life as an android brought.

Shaking his head about himself and these superfluous thoughts, GV200 returned to reality.  
"Of course," he replied and they went outside together to talk in a park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	2. #SharingABed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Nines are strangers :o

After hours on the Interstate, Gavin had finally stopped in a small town with a motel to rest. After years of work, he had taken a few weeks off to take a vacation and had decided to travel from Detroit to Seattle and maybe take a side trip into the wild nature of Canada. Depending on how much he wanted to continue his trip after visiting Seattle. 

Gavin parked on the motel grounds and went to the reception. It was already the middle of the night and the elderly lady looked as if her chin, which she had leaned on her palm, was about to hit the table, because she fell asleep at any moment.   
"Good evening," said Gavin softly, so as not to frighten the lady. "I'd like a room for the night."  
Ponderously, the woman raised her head and looked at the young man.  
"We have only one bed left. It's in an eight-bed-room."  
Gavin sighed, he didn't feel like being with other people today, but he couldn't drive to the next town either. He was too tired for that.  
"All right."

He paid for the bed and went to his room. He opened the door quietly so as not to wake anyone. In fact, it was already dark in the room, and no one seemed to be awake. Gavin looked around for an empty bed but found none. They were all taken. In some beds there were even two people. Obviously, there were group of people in here who had not paid for each person and squeezed together. It looked like a travel group. 

A little desperate Gavin looked around, unsure what to do now. He couldn't lie in bed with strangers. Sighing, Gavin dropped his rucksack. One of the people sat up. Gavin recognized a blue glowing LED.  
"You can get into the bed with me if you want," the person whispered.   
Shoulder shrugging, Gavin stepped to the bed, he had no other option anyway. He put down his rucksack, took off his shoes and jeans and tried to make himself comfortable. There was an awkward silence.  
"I’m Gavin," he introduced himself.  
"Nines," the answer came.  
Gavin turned his head to the person next to him.  
"Nice to meet you."  
Silence returned and Gavin's eyes quickly closed, too exhausted from the long drive.

The next morning, Gavin woke up early. The night was not particularly relaxing, but at least he could rest for a few hours. Nines was still asleep, which surprised Gavin, as he had thought that androids didn't need to sleep at all, but probably even a machine needed some rest. In the daylight Gavin could finally recognize the appearance of his sleeping neighbor and realized that he had slept next to a very attractive man.  
"What a pity we won't see each other again," Gavin murmured and finally turned to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	3. College AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in high school because my idea wouldn't fit with college :D

During one hour of detention two worlds met. Nines belonged to the elite of the entire high school. His parents were rich, and he behaved accordingly. He knew he owned the world. Half of the school was eager for his attention and would even lick his shoes just to have lunch with Nines. Gavin had none of that. He lived in a foster home that barely cared for him. He belonged to a group of outcasts and despised. Nines and his friends looked down on him and made fun of him, if they even noticed him. That was okay for Gavin. The contempt was mutual, and he didn't feel like dealing with these people. But now they were stuck in detention together. Nines had once again made fun of "the dirt of society" and Gavin had intervened. He could handle it, life had given him a hard shell, but some of his friends couldn't handle it. They suffered from the nasty remarks of the pretty boy and their life was shitty enough already. They didn't need another privileged classmate picking on them. So, Gavin had punched his fist in the braggart's face and wiped his arrogant grin off his lips. Nines had taken it upon himself to return the punch, and now they were here and had to clean up the attic of the high school. There was junk everywhere, and it was completely filthy. Armed with buckets and scrubbing brushes, the boys had to clean up. Gavin was still foaming with rage, especially when he saw how clumsy Nines was. It became clear he'd never had to work a day in his life. When he then also bumped into Gavin, so that he tripped over his bucket and knocked it over, Gavin's collar burst. Furious, he threw the scrubbing brush on the floor and turned to his classmate.  
"Okay, enough! It’s enough. We all know how fucking privileged you are. You're the greatest and the best. Mommy and Daddy love you and they read your every wish. But that doesn't give you the right to bully people who aren't as lucky as you are. Our lives suck enough already. Without you making it worse. And stop being such a jerk about cleaning. Even if you've never had to work in your life, it's not too much to ask to just mop the floor without falling asleep," Gavin shouted.  
Glad to finally vent his anger, he bent over to the broom and set about wiping away the spilled water.  
"My life is not as perfect as you think," Nines said sheepishly behind Gavin.  
"Oh, poor baby boy. Daddy doesn't love you and you're supposed to be quiet all the time? Spare me your drama. You won't get any sympathy from me," Gavin growled annoyed, without turning around.   
Nines remained silent. The fact that he had nothing to say made Gavin's anger grow again.   
"You know, I'm sorry your parents are shitty or whatever you guys have going on. I really am. No kid deserves that. But at least you have a real family and enough money to buy the world. Sure, it doesn't make you happy, but it's a good start to get away from your folks and build your own life. Especially when your life is shitty, you shouldn't pick on others who are even more shitty. You should be grateful that you're doing well and helping those who need help,"  
Gavin glanced irritably at Nines.  
"You're right," mumbled Nines. "It just always makes me feel like I'm above all problems. It keeps them off my radar, so I can ignore what's going on at home."  
"That's the most selfish thing I've ever heard," said Gavin speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	4. #Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little longer this time because I wanted it to be better and deeper than the other ones. I hope you enjoy. I'm so interested in all your ideas

Gavin and Nines had been together for over a year by now. Nines had moved in Gavin’s apartment, not long after they had solved and closed the case about Ada. Actually, not much had changed since then. Gavin and Nines still teased each other continuously, they were still the best team of the DPD because the work ethic gained from ambition and experience combined with the most advanced technology was unsurpassed. They were both still the last to leave the precinct every day. This was partly due to the fact that they simply liked to be left alone. No one disturbed them at night, no one had questions or needed help. They could just work. Of course, they could do that at home, too, but at the precinct they had everything close at hand that they could not take home. That's why they made even better progress at the DPD. Apart from the fact that they both liked to work in peace, the empty DPD headquarters had another advantage: they could be themselves. Nobody looked at them crooked or made silly jokes when they exchanged a short kiss or touched each other lovingly in the break room. As soon as other people were around, Gavin was still locked up. Also, towards Tina and Chris he hid his love for Nines as best as he could. He still felt vulnerable when he showed his feelings openly, and it was simply uncomfortable for him to be watched when he kissed Nines. For Nines that was okay. He respected Gavin's attitude and only felt even more special because Nines was the only person Gavin was open to and be honest about his feelings. Nines alone enjoyed this privilege. The more they both enjoyed the familiar silence which the empty and almost completely dark DPD brought.

After a long day the two guys drove home, while Gavin concentrated on the road, Nines watched his boyfriend. He had changed over the last year. He looked healthier, less pale, the dark shadows around his eyes were hardly noticeable, he was fitter than ever. Altogether, even more attractive than when they started their relationship. After Nines had moved in with Gavin, he had noticed how often his partner suffered from nightmares, and he understood even better why Gavin had refused to sleep. The nightmares didn't magically disappear just because Nines was suddenly lying next to Gavin, he still had them almost every night because his trauma wasn’t just cured, but the mere fact that Gavin didn't wake up in solitude helped him already. Sometimes he talked to Nines about the dream, sometimes not. Sometimes they talked about something else for the rest of the night when Gavin couldn't fall asleep anymore, sometimes they just lay in bed tightly wrapped. Gavin got so much strength from the mere presence of his partner and he was grateful for him like nothing else in the world.

Gavin and Nines had met Tina and Chris at their local pub a while ago. Nines had made fun of Gavin's hairstyle, which had fallen apart into his usual curls after a nerve-wracking day. Hair gel and hair spray had failed. Gavin had rolled his eyes.  
"I hate you," he said annoyed.  
Grinning, Nines wrapped his arms from the side around Gavin's waist and whispered "You love me" in Gavin's ear before giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek.  
Gavin couldn't help but smile and give Nines a loving look. Tina had freaked out because of the unusual cuteness and love between the two and had squealed with joy. Being Gavin's best friend made her especially excited to see him so happy.  
"I can already hear the wedding bells ringing," she shouted exhilarated.  
Gavin just dropped the subject with a laugh, but after that night the idea never left his mind. Nines felt the same way, but he didn't think about how to propose to Gavin. By now the android knew exactly how far he could go without pressuring Gavin. As always, Nines respected Gavin's pace. Proposing when Gavin wasn't ready definitely crossed boundaries. So, Nines only indulged in his simulations of how Gavin might propose. One more pompous and romantic than the other.

Then, one evening, the time had come. Nines and Gavin were sitting on the couch together, both in comfortable clothes, watching a movie. Nines had put his arm around his boyfriend who had laid his head on Nines' shoulder. It didn't escape the android's attention that Gavin's gaze wasn't on the events on the TV, but only on himself. From below, Gavin watched him and noticed every peculiarity in the android's face. The soft dark brown hair, the flawless skin, the perfectly curved eyebrows, the piercing blue eyes, the soft glow of the blue LED, the sharp jawbone, the narrow lips that had curled into a Mona Lisa smile.   
"Nines?" Gavin broke through the silence in a low voice.  
Nines turned his gaze from the TV to Gavin and looked at him attentively.  
"I'd like to ask you something," Gavin mumbled.  
The android couldn't escape the nervous flutter in his boyfriend's voice, and when Gavin reached into the pocket of his shorts and dropped to his knee on the floor in front of Nines, his thirium pump accelerated. After a deep breath Gavin pulled his hand out of his pocket and opened the small box he had brought out. Gavin raised his eyes and they looked at each other.  
"You know I'm not very good with all this emotional stuff, but I'm trying my best because what I want to tell you you should have heard much earlier because you are by far the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life, and you should be told every day what a wonderful person you are.   
“I still remember the stakeout a year ago, while we tried to solve Ada's case, when I said that I only want a person who doesn't bail the moment things get bad, but you are so much more. You were insanely close to me that day already, and you seemed to have a sense of how to handle me. You just understood me without me having to explain anything. That's why we're still partners. No one could ever stand me for long, but you could just always read me like a book and always knew exactly whether I wanted to be left alone or just needed a kick in the ass. Every second you're with me, you help me and make life bearable. More than bearable, you make it good. You make me happy, you're the cure for my trauma. What you do for me, without actually doing anything, is more than I could ever describe in words. When I look at you, love and so much gratitude flows through me. I have never been convinced of myself, never believed in myself, but when I look into your eyes, I know that you love me and that I am important to you. Just by looking into your eyes I know that I am worthy of being loved. That expression in your eyes is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I'm addicted to it. I never want to spend another second without you in my whole life, I want you by my side for the rest of my life and that's why I'm asking you: Will you marry me?"  
Silence. Their eyes were still interwoven, and Nines saw hopeful expectation in Gavin's eyes. Nines was speechless. He could not move, could not think, could not speak. He could only feel. Love, affection and emotion overcame him like a tsunami, swept everything away, broke through his own walls, his self-control, and tears began to run down his cheeks as if they would never stop.  
"Nines?", Gavin asked worried, still holding the box in his hand.  
"Yes," Nines whispered in tears. "Yes, I will marry you."  
A relieved smile came to Gavin's lips. He took the ring out of the box and tenderly put it on Nines' left ring finger. Still overwhelmed by his emotions, Nines' watched his fiancé as he did so. The ring was simple, narrow and made of white gold.  
"Our names are on the inside," Gavin murmured.  
Nines pulled the ring off his finger for a second to read "Nines & Gavin" in curved letters. He wanted to wear this ring on his finger forever and ever. It was just perfect. Overjoyed Nines bent over to Gavin and kissed him.

Later, as they lay embraced in bed and whispered soft words of affection to each other, Nines realized that all his simulations of that moment had never suited Gavin and had been totally inappropriate. That moment, on the other hand, was real, and it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow


	5. Western AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not familiar with Western stories nor I'm satisfied with this one, but I hope you like it nevertheless.

Gavin was on patrol with his unit. They had checked their route and had returned to their town. Gavin had the rest of the day off and decided to explore the area again on his own. He was very interested in this country, there was always something new to discover. He also found the Native Americans fascinating. They lived so completely different than he was used to. Gavin always looked for new ways to his favorite place, a plateau from which he could overlook the whole area. It was a long way, he needed a few hours with his horse. Today his way led through a small forest. As always he enjoyed the ride and became more euphoric the closer he came to the plateau. He led his horse up the stony and arduous path and tied it to a small tree. Another horse was already there which made Gavin's anticipation even greater. He passed the last bend and stood in his favorite spot. Sitting against a fallen tree trunk was a man who was gazing with relish at the wide landscape in front of him.   
"Hello, Nines," Gavin greeted him and sat down beside him on the log.  
Nines wordlessly dropped his head against Gavin's knee. Gavin let his fingers slide through the soft, brown hair which Nines acknowledged with a satisfied growl.   
"How was your last mission?" Gavin asked as he checked Nines for injuries.  
Nines was a soldier, and his real name was Richard, but he'd already cheated death so many times that everyone just called him Nines, in reference to a cat who, according to legend, had nine lives.  
"As always. Useless and too bloody," he sighed.  
Nines had become a soldier to protect his fatherland. He was a good soldier, one of the best, which is why he was chosen to secure the Wild West and make it useful for European civilization. However, he was reluctant to extinguish innocent lives which spoke against his morals. Nevertheless, he had to follow his orders if he did not want to be flogged for disobedience of orders. Nines hated everything in the Wild West and wanted to return home. He wanted to go back to the life he knew. The only joy he had was the time he spent with Gavin. They had met each other here and got along well right away. They had quickly become friends and friendship turned into more. However, they had to keep it a secret and could only really be themselves here in seclusion. 

Nines had been on the road for several weeks and since he had come back a few days ago they hadn't had a chance to see each other. Gavin breathed a kiss on Nines' hair.  
"It will pass. Perhaps we can go home soon. Then everything will be easier," Gavin promised.  
"I don't know. This country is so huge. There's so much we haven't explored yet. I don't think Fowler will be satisfied until everything's under his control."  
"That may be true, but at least we have each other. It may not be much, but we can see each other, we have our oasis here where we don't have to worry about the problems for a few hours. This place belongs only to us."  
Nines turned and finally Gavin could sink his piercing blue eyes again. A tender smile graced Nines' lips as he looked at Gavin.  
"You're right, darling. It's not all bad. At least I'm not alone in this hell."  
Their lips met for a gentle kiss and both felt as if for the first time in weeks they could breathe properly again, as if a burden had been lifted from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	6. #Amnesia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cried while writing. So much angst and sadness :(  
> Inspired by angsty art from Astraldawn and Lonelion and hope art from Aum

"You can see him now," Dr. Maria Schaffer began.  
Gavin jumped up and ran past her.  
"Wait! I have to tell you something," she called after him, but Gavin paid no more attention to her.   
A few moments later, Gavin was already in Nines' room. The android was still monitored by various devices, but his blue eyes were open. He was already wearing clothes again and his blue LED gave the impression that nothing had ever happened.   
"Oh my God! Nines, how are you?", he asked with relief.  
Gavin clasped Nines' hand and looked at him waiting. The android's LED changed to yellow, but that wasn't the strangest thing about Nines. His eyes... stared at Gavin completely expressionless.  
"Nines?" Gavin whispered fearfully.  
"I'm RK900, Detective Reed. I'm asking you to address me by that name.  
Gavin stumbled back in like he was burned.  
No. No, no, no. That can't be real. This can't be true. Please let it be just a joke.  
Dr. Schaffer entered the room.  
"We couldn't have saved him otherwise," she explained quietly, looking at Gavin sympathetically. "Without the reset, he couldn’t have returned from his mind palace. He is still a deviant, but we could not retrieve his memories."  
"You could have let me talk to him, damn it!" Gavin cried desperately. "It works for people in coma, too. Why not a goddamn machine?"

Gavin ran his trembling hands through his hair. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't see. He was trapped in a feeling of infinite emptiness. His greatest fear had come true. He had lost Nines. The android was still alive, but he was not the same. After Gavin had finally admitted his feelings and found the courage to reveal himself to Nines, it was already too late, and everything was lost. It was worse as if Nines had never woken up. Gavin would see his best friend forever, his familiar, and for Nines the past would be just a blank canvas. Deviant or not, how could the android fall in love with Gavin again? Gavin didn't even know what had made Nines falling in love with him for the first time.

"Detective, are you all right? Your stress level is too high."  
Nines ripped Gavin out of his thoughts. He looked at the android with tears in his eyes, and his heart broke again.   
"I'll leave you alone," Dr Schaffer said and left the room.   
Weakly, Gavin dropped himself onto a chair next to Nines' bed, his head sank into his hands while he cried silently. He had wasted so much time already, afraid to open up to Nines, and now he had to pay the price for his hesitation. 

A knock tore Gavin from his rigidity. He raised his gaze and saw Tina knocking against the glass on the opposite side of the room. Their eyes met and both recognized the tears on each other’s cheeks. Gavin thought back to his conversation with Tina just before Dr. Schaffer arrived.  
“What if he comes back and he’s not the same? If they have to reset him?”  
“Hey, you’ll figure it out. You always do.”

Gavin looked at Nines, who was still looking at him and still watching.   
"Can I help you? I'm aware that your grief is related to my reset. I'm sorry that the version of RK900 you knew no longer exists."  
"Do you want to know what you were like?" Gavin asked.  
His voice trembled and tears still ran down his cheeks.  
"I'd love to if that'd help you."  
Gavin couldn't suppress a smile. Nines was still concerned about Gavin’s feelings. Some things never seemed to change.   
"OK. Where do I start? I'm Gavin, but you know that. Obviously, you've already scanned me. You do it all the time, by the way, and I don't like it. We've been fighting about it a lot."  
Gavin laughed when he thought about how many times he'd already yelled at Nines about it.   
"In general, we fight a lot, actually. When we first met, we hated each other. I was ... the absolute goddamn worst to you when we met. Chris and Tina took bets on on how long it’d take for us to kill each other. But ... you ... you stuck through it. You gave me as much shit as I gave you. And eventually I stopped doing it to piss you off and did it, I did it ‘cause … it’s just what we do … You're my partner, you’re my best friend. And you are this force in my life that I can't live without. I don't wanna go back. I can't go back. To being without you. No matter what happens, you’ve never given up on me.”  
Gavin only saw blue. Bright blue which, as always, gave him a sense of understanding. The android remained quiet for a few seconds, his eyes still fixed on Gavin and their gazes intertwined.   
"Did you love Nines?" the android finally asked.  
Gavin desperately closed his eyes when he realized that Nines was gone and would not return.  
"Yes," he finally whispered, unable to look at the android.  
He wanted to touch him, take his hand, hug him, something. The urge in him was so great that he clenched his hands in his lap into fists and squeezed his eyes shut.   
The rustling of cloth sounded as Nines rose from the bed and knelt before Gavin.  
"I may not remember you, but I’d love to. Maybe I might fall in love with you all over again."  
Tenderly, he put his hands on Gavin's fists. A hard sob sounded from Gavin's throat as Nines touched him. Gavin hesitantly opened his eyes and his gaze fell on Nine's hands. The synthetic skin had disappeared, and the white plastic became visible. With eyes wide open, Gavin stared at the android. Perhaps it wasn’t all lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	7. Time Travel/ Loop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had way more fun writing this than I thought I'd have. I included a link to a song on spotify that fits with the scene. Have fun enjoying this one. Be prepared for Jazz, the Roaring Twenties and Nines being the most advanced android CyberLife ever made ;)

Gavin and Nines lay together on the couch of their apartment. Gavin had put his legs over Nines' and bedded his head on Nines’ chest. Together they watched an ancient movie from 2013 which was about the Roaring Twenties. A billionaire named Gatsby throws one party after another to impress his crush and get back together with the girl. Gavin was less interested in the drama, but the glittering party nights aroused his interest. They all seemed so happy and carefree. Everyone was dancing and laughing and radiating serenity. Certainly not everything was perfect during this time, after all, seven years after the plot of the film, the Great Depression toke place, but these parties gave the impression that people could forget everything while they danced, laughed and drank which was something Gavin wanted too. Of course, he didn't expect to suddenly become the most serene person once he was with Nines, but there was still so much that was bothering him. Too much. He still had nightmares most nights and although it was nice to find comfort in Nines' company, it still drained Gavin. He wanted peace, he wanted to find his Zen. He wanted to become the version of himself which was Nines' company in his Zen Garden for a long time. Zenvin, as Gavin called his perfect twin.

"You know, I want to go to such a party," Gavin finally said.  
Amused, Nines turned his gaze away from the screen to look at his boyfriend.  
"All those people would get on your nerves," Nines said with a grin. "You'd turn back before we were even properly in that ballroom. Besides, you hate wearing a suit. You love your comfortable clothes.“  
"Hmm, maybe you're right, but it still looks funny," Gavin replied insulted.  
He was once again surprised by how well the android knew him. Probably Nines knew him better than he knew himself. Nines laughed softly and gave Gavin a soft kiss on the forehead.

A few days later, Nines said he had a surprise for Gavin. Gavin had no idea what it could be and didn’t even bother to guess. After work Nines drove Gavin's car through town to go to the surprise. After a while they stood in front of a big, empty house. There used to be a factory here, but after the company went bankrupt, it was cleared out.  
"Seriously, Nines? We searched this place three days ago. Your surprise is that we're rechecking the homeless guy's whereabouts? I'm sorry, but I can think of better surprises," Gavin said skeptically.  
"Shut up, Gavin. We're not here to work," Nines just replied.  
Smiling, he held out his hand and waited until Gavin had grabbed it. Together they entered the building. As they stood in the middle of the huge production room, Nines stood behind Gavin and gently put his hands on Gavin’s shoulders.  
"Close your eyes," he whispered.  
After Gavin had rolled his eyes, he complied with the request and closed his eyes for a few seconds before Nines said he could open his eyes again.

Gavin had to blink due to the sudden brightness until his eyes got used to the light. Suddenly the whole room was brightly lit and where was a run-down factory before, there was a magnificent ballroom now. Astonished, Gavin looked around and turned once around his own axis until he faced Nines.  
"How did you do that?" Gavin asked, still stunned.  
His gaze didn’t stick to Nines, he had to discover and process too many new things.  
"I am the most advanced android CyberLife has ever made," Nines replied with a cheeky grin.  
Gavin gave him an annoyed look. Nines never got tired of emphasizing it.  
"But you can't tell me you can travel in time and didn’t tell me by now!"  
Nines laughed while Gavin explored the surroundings. Everything glittered, was gold-plated and exuded magnificent elegance. Candlesticks on the wall, a stage, various plants and much more decorated the room. Everything looked so real that Gavin couldn’t help but believe in a sudden time travel. He stretched out his hand to touch the leaves of a plant, but instead of feeling the expected soft flowers, his hand just slipped through as if through a ghost. Startled, Gavin stared at the plant and then back at Nines. The android stepped beside him and let his hand slide through the flower as well.  
"It's not real, it's just a projection. We are still in 2040, still in the old factory. No time travel, no magic, just technology," he explained.  
"You really are the most advanced android," Gavin replied speechlessly.  
Nines grinned triumphantly. In the next moment Jazz sounded the room (please listen to this song for the right feeling https://open.spotify.com/track/2XTgOC0CYtinqrTiayyGj3?si=Ly6LNzYxRAmROIwNrOdj5g ) and the Android bowed slightly in front Gavin.  
"May I have this dance?"  
Gavin couldn't help but laugh.  
"Why are you asking me? Am I your lady or what?"  
"It's 2040. I think we can get away from that way of thinking. We're just two men who want to enjoy a dance and one of us asks the other out."  
Not a second later, Nines had grabbed Gavin’s hand and with a twist Gavin found himself into Nines’ arms. Immediately, Nines began to whirl across the room and lead Gavin through the steps. Their eyes were intertwined, and Gavin sank more and more into Nines' blue eyes. He didn't pay any attention to what his feet were doing, but surprisingly he didn't step on Nines' toes.  
"I didn't know you could dance," Gavin whispered.  
"I am the most advanced android, you know?" Nines replied just as quietly with a wink.  
"You're such a fucking brick!"  
"Takes one to know one," Nines shot back at once.  
Gavin couldn’t suppress an amused snort.  
"I hate you!"  
"You love me," Nines whispered in Gavin's ear and the next moment they kissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	8. #Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another song for the right feeling. I wonder who gets the reference just with the song ;)  
> https://open.spotify.com/track/4rfh0qEv1HdKRXWiRXfzWF?si=pF3EsEJ2TWa3jxM8RaNKog

Jeffrey got out of his car and went to his parents' house. Already from across the street he heard the music streaming outside from the open living room window of the house. Apparently, they were in a very good mood on this summery Saturday afternoon.   
The house was located in one of the suburbs of Detroit, a beautiful green area. After retirement, Jeffrey's parents had bought the house here, away from downtown and away from the DPD. They didn't talk much about their work and Jeffrey was grateful for that. Although their job as cops was responsible for the fact that he was not raised by a foster family but had a loving home, he still didn't like being reminded that his biological parents preferred to take Red Ice and deal it instead of taking care of him. He didn't know much anymore since he was still small, but he still preferred to push his past away from him. Fortunately, his parents had adopted him after they had arrested all the drug dealers. On paper, all ties to Jeffrey's biological parents had disappeared. He got a new name and a new home.

With a smile, Jeffrey listened to the sounds of music as he opened the door to his parents' house. He expected his parents to be in the kitchen cooking, but instead his dads were in the living room. It was right next to the door and only separated from the hallway by a short piece of wall. Jeffrey looked around the corner and his smile deepened. Nines had put his arms around Gavin's shoulders, who also held his husband tightly. Both had their eyes closed and enjoyed the closeness to each other. They whirled gently back and fourth to the rhythm of the music. Jeffrey's heart warmed as he saw the love between his fathers. They both seemed to be doing well. A day without pain in Gavin's whole body because his joints were completely ruined by the hard work as a policeman. No malfunction in Nines' old and strained biocomponents. Tears came to Jeffrey's eyes as he was overwhelmed by endless love. The sight of his happy parents made him emotional. It was everything he had ever wanted for his fathers. They had raised him to be a decent, confident and strong man, he owed them his life.  
Gavin and Nines looked at each other lovingly and kissed gently. Jeffrey watched with emotion this moment of bliss. After they had separated, Gavin noticed his son. If it was possible at all, his eyes shone even brighter. After a kiss on Nines' cheek, he stepped towards Jeffrey with arms outstretched.  
"What a wonderful surprise, my boy. How are you? What are you doing here?"  
They hugged each other tightly before Jeffrey greeted Nines as well, who was also looking at him the joy.  
"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I didn't know you were going to dance," Jeffrey replied with a grin.  
His dads laughed and looked at each other tenderly. Jeffrey watched them again, overwhelmed by the love between them. They had been married for so many years and yet they still looked at each other as if there was nothing more important in the world. They were soul mates, meant for each other.   
"Let's go outside to the garden. The weather is wonderful," Gavin suggested.  
"Go on, I'll get something to drink," Jeffrey replied.  
His parents nodded and walked hand in hand towards the back door which led to the garden. They still moved to the sound of the music. Nines raised his arm and turned Gavin around his own axis one time.   
"You can't do that to my poor old bones, tin can," Gavin cursed with a laugh.  
Grinning, Jeffrey shook his head and got some Thirium for Nines and lemonade for Gavin and himself before he followed his parents. Just when the song was over, he had stepped through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	9. Mermaid AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I wrote this chapter, I wished I could draw. I'd love to have drawings to my stories :(

While laughing happily through the ocean and enjoying life as a merman, Nines didn't notice the raging storm above him on the surface. As deep under the sea as he was, everything was calm. The storms only disturbed the upper part of the ocean. In the far distance Nines recognized a ship. It must be huge if he could see it down here. Worried, he thought about the situation. He was forbidden to swim to the surface so that the realm of the Sea People would remain a secret and the destructive humans would not discover it. Nevertheless, Nines swam up with powerful strokes of his bright blue tail fin. He just wanted to make sure that the people on the ship could get along. A few meters below the surface he stopped and watched what was happening. No one noticed him, everyone was busy saving the sails and supplies. Nines saw how the wind suddenly came from another direction. The dew was torn from the men's hands and the sail swung around. One man stood right at the railing to secure the cannons. He turned around in fright, couldn't duck anymore and got the mast right in his face. The force of the impact threw him over the railing and into the sea. He didn't move, just sank deeper and deeper. He had to be unconscious. In a hurry, Nines swam towards the man and pulled him into his arms. The water around them turned red. The man had a broken nose, but that was the least of his problems if he didn't get oxygen quickly. Nines gathered his magical powers inside him. He approached the man's face and breathed a gentle kiss on his lips. Nines opened his mouth and sent the magic of the sea into the man's lungs. He took a deep breath and was now able to filter the oxygen from the water. However, it wouldn’t be enough to keep the man alive in the long run. Feverishly Nines thought about what he could do now to save the man. Then he got an idea. Not far from here there was a cave. To the humans it only looked like a rock in the sea, but there was an underwater access and due to the constant sinking of the water level a cave with oxygen had formed. As fast as he could, Nines swam towards the cave. In doing so, he moved further and further away from the royal court of the Sea People and was happy about it. There was seldom anyone here, which meant that Nines was undisturbed and didn’t get into trouble because he had broken the rule. He laid the man carefully on a stone ledge. Immediately, the breathing of the man deepened again, and Nines was sure that he would survive. Nevertheless, the merman didn’t leave the injured man. While the man lay on the ledge and only his feet were hanging in the water, Nines' entire body below his chest was in the water. With arms crossed he had supported himself and watched the man. The nose was still bleeding and was terribly crooked. Following this observation Nines sat down next to the man and bent over him. He let a little healing magic work to at least stop the bleeding, straighten the nose and let the bone grow together a bit. For more his power wasn’t strong enough. As soon as Nines was finished, the man gave a rough moan. Blinking, he opened his green eyes and his gaze landed in Nines' blue ones.   
"Are you an angel?" the man whispered. "Am I dead?"  
Nines laughed softly.   
"No, you're not dead. You had an accident and fell off the ship. I saved you and brought you here."  
The man's eyes widened.  
"Oh, yes, I remember. How could you save me? There was no other ship in sight, and you're not from my crew. The waves were much too strong to swim through," the shipwrecked man stammered.  
"They don't bother me that much," Nines replied and let himself slide back into the water.   
Gavin sat up and let his eyes slide over Nines' body. His eyes got even bigger.  
"Holy Poseidon. You are real. I always thought those were just legends told by old, confused sailors."  
"Sometimes a sailor got a look at us."  
"Fascinating. May I... May I touch your fin?  
A little hesitantly Nines shifted in the water so that his fin stepped through the water surface.   
"I'm Gavin, by the way," the human murmured.  
"Nines."  
Slowly, Gavin stretched out his hand and gently touched Nines' fin.   
"It's so... soft. I always thought they'd be rough or hard. Do you have bones in it like a human in his legs? “  
"No, we are much more agile. We have a long spine. From the neck to the tip of the fin."  
"Awesome. How fast are you going?"  
"You'll see when I bring you back to shore, but we have to stay underwater. It's too dangerous for me on the surface. I have to … kiss you ... so you don't suffocate. I can magically give you the ability to breathe underwater for a short time. In the long run, you won't be able to survive on it because there won't be enough oxygen for your body, but it will be enough."  
"Okay," Gavin replied and slipped into the water.   
He held on to Nines' shoulders while the merman put his arms around Gavin's waist to keep the man above water. Slowly, Nines approached the other, bowed his head and put his lips on Gavin’s. Again, he gathered his powers and as he exhaled, he sent the magic into Gavin's lungs. He was just about to retire when Gavin wrapped his arms around Nines’ neck and deepened the touch. He returned the kiss, and Nines felt as if a geyser had exploded inside of him. Emotions raced through his body and made his blood boil. While they were still kissing, Nines let himself sink under water and swam towards land. When they arrived at a lonely point of the coast, they were still kissing. Nines sat on the sandy bottom while Gavin knelt above him, their upper bodies back above water.  
"It's time," Nines murmured to Gavin's lips. "I gotta get back."  
Gavin placed his forehead on Nines'.  
"Will I ever see you again?"  
Nines also sighed and looked regretfully into Gavin's beautiful eyes.  
"No. I have to protect my people and myself. Besides, we literally come from two different worlds. It wouldn't work."  
After a last kiss they said goodbye to each other and returned sadly to their own world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	10. #SickFic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is from another fanfic I wrote, and I was too lazy to change it so it doesn't fit completely from plot and style. HC is that Nines isn't a deviant, but because he's so advanced he can feel emotions in order to avoid deviancy. I like this chapter, and it fits with today's prompt, but you need to know these things before reading so you don't get confused.

I was woken by a moan. Slowly I opened my eyes and it took me a moment to know where I was. I thought about what had woken me while I looked at the clock. Way too early. I almost fell asleep again, but then it sounded again. Jerkily, I sat up and looked to the left.  
"Nines? Are you okay?" I asked quietly.   
"I'm... I'm not feeling well," he said with great effort.  
Worried, I turned on the light by my bed. Nines was coughing violently and writhing. He turned his back on me. Gently I put my hand on his shoulder.  
"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.  
Without answering me, he jumped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. I followed him instantly, but he blocked my view with his body. Hesitantly, I stepped around him so that I stood next to him. Blue blood dripped from his lips and hand. A new coughing shook his body and more blue blood ended up in the sink.   
"Nines! What’s going on?"  
The android clung to the sink and sank to his knees. I crouched down next to him and closed my arms around his body.   
"Please talk to me. What can I do? What is wrong with you? Why are you coughing?" I whispered in fear.  
"My Thirium pump regulator is defective and by coughing my body tries to remove the Thirium outside the tubes," he replied in a weak voice.  
"What? How could this happen? No, never mind. I'm taking you to CyberLife right now."  
I helped him up and led him to the bed. It seemed a bit inappropriate to bring Nines to his... builders only dressed in boxer shorts. I quickly put his clothes on him before I dragged him into my car. With squealing tires, I raced away and arrived at the CyberLife Tower in record time. The android guard let me pass after I explained that the RK900 had a defect. 

No sooner had I arrived in front of the tower, two androids pulled Nines out of the car and carried him away. My friend threw a tortured look to me and I hurried to follow the androids. Under no circumstances I would leave Nines alone. For that I cared way too much about him. Besides, I didn't trust those tin cans. But as soon as I had caught up with them, they stepped through a holographic door that I could not pass.   
"You are not authorized to enter the CyberLife Tower any further," a computer voice explained to me.  
"Gavin," I heard Nines' weak voice before another coughing fit shook him. "Let him through... I want him to come."  
"That's not possible, RK900. The repair area is not accessible for humans", one of the androids explained and exchanged a look with his colleague, which I couldn't interpret, but he surely didn't mean well.

I banged on the door in anger, but it was useless. As permeable as it might have been for the androids, for me it was as impenetrable as concrete. Restlessly, I walked up and down, back and forth. My mind was racing. What if they changed something about Nines? What if they installed something strange in him? Maybe they kept him right here. What if he had a lot more defects? It's not like his pump regulator just broke down. In my mind I went over the last few days to find out why Nines was suddenly sick. We had had a fight yesterday with some wanna-be criminals, but nothing seemed threatening enough for such a serious injury. The android was also much more resilient than me. As usual, I had suffered some wounds, but Nines hadn't shown any problems. Hadn’t he noticed his injury himself? Had he taken it lightly? Didn’t he want to worry me? Didn’t he want to go to CyberLife for treatment? It hadn’t escaped my notice that he had come here more and more unwillingly in the last few months to report and be updated in a controlled manner. He was only in the CyberLife Tower once a month for a few hours, but that seemed to be too much for him. He became more and more human and maybe he was afraid of what would happen if CyberLife found out. Or maybe he didn't want to be reminded that he wasn't human after all. I didn't know. Nines consistently avoided everything that had to do with CyberLife, and I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to burden him. However, now I wondered whether this might be the wrong decision. My inability to help drove me insane. I simply did not get any further and did not know what happened to Nines.

A few hours later I sat on the floor and kept my eyes on the door, which still wouldn't let me through. I got up again, because I still couldn't find peace, and tugged up and down. I stopped abruptly when I discovered Nines. Elegant and upright as always, he walked towards me and finally stepped through the holographic door. I hurriedly walked towards him.  
"How are you?" I asked immediately.  
“I’m fine. Thanks for asking," Nines replied.  
I frowned. He was acting strangely. So formal.  
"What did they do to you?" I asked suspiciously.  
"My defective components were replaced, and I was rebooted."  
"What does reboot mean?"  
"I was rebooted, and some updates were installed."  
All the alarm bells started ringing in my head. They had changed something about Nines, but I didn't want to discuss it here. I took for granted that there were surveillance cameras everywhere.  
"Let's go. I'll drive you home," I just said and we walked to my car together.

Instead of driving off, I just looked at my boyfriend.  
"Can you remember my name?" I asked uncertainly.  
"Sergeant Gavin Reed. I don't need to remember, I have a scanner," was the neutral answer. "We have been partners with the Detroit Police Department since November 2038."  
"And that's it?"  
Thoughtfully he looked at me, his LED first flashed yellow, then red, until it finally glowed continuously red.   
"I can't... remember," he murmured.  
I leaned over to him and put my lips on his. First nothing happened, then he raised his hands to my chest as if he wanted to push me away, but he did not. We remained in this position for a minute before life entered the android's body. His hands grasped my face, he pulled me closer to him and kissed me passionately.   
I was more then relieved, and I returned the kiss instantly. Nines pulled me over to his side so that I sat on his lap.  
"I was afraid you'd forgotten me," I whispered on Nine's lips.  
"Never," he replied and looked deep into my eyes. "I love you and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Not even CyberLife."  
"I love you too, Nines," I replied smiling.  
Nines suddenly looked sad and looked out the passenger window.  
"What's wrong? Talk to me,' I said gently and turned his head towards me.  
"If I have to go to CyberLife for regular report, and they probe my memory, I can keep our relationship secret. No one could ever know I had feelings for you. But now it came out of the blue. I was turned off and there was nothing I could do about it. They just manipulated my memory. It could happen again at any time. I can't turn my back on CyberLife because I need their help if I have a defect, though."  
He dropped his head on my shoulder. I ran my hand through his hair and scratched him a little. A pleasurable sound came over his lips, and he nestled closer to me. I looked at him with a smile.   
"How could this even happen? Did it come from that case we solved yesterday?", I asked worriedly.  
"I can't tell you exactly," Nines sighed. "I don't think it was just this one fight. It had started before. Of the two of us, I'm the one who gets the most because I'm much less vulnerable than you... and because I want to protect you."  
Nines looked at me, almost a little shyly, and smiled. His words made me feel all warm, without me being able to stop it. Gently I pressed a kiss on his lips before he continued speaking.  
"In the last few weeks, I haven’t been very careful with my system check, and so the damage has been increasing. I simply did not notice the defect because I became careless. My ... feelings are getting stronger and stronger, and maybe I am already a deviant, even if my system tells me that I am not."  
Again, he sighed, and my concern increased even more.  
"Listen to me carefully," I answered after a while. "I want you to always test yourself regularly. You scared the shit out of me, and I thought I'd never see you again because those plastic pricks would be keeping you, or that you'd forget about me. Besides, I don’t want you to get into every fight just because you can take more than me. Today showed me that you're vulnerable too, and I don't want to see that again. I'm not gonna die from a black eye or a broken rib. I can take a punch myself. We take care of each other, and that includes this. Even if you look incredibly sexy when you beat the shit out of one of these criminal assholes and put handcuffs on them."  
That made Nines laugh, and he didn't look so down anymore. I smiled conspiratorially at my android, and we kissed again.  
"Take care of yourself, you hear me?"  
I looked at Nines urgently, and he nodded devotedly, which calmed me down a little.  
"I want to go home now," murmured Nines.  
Carefully, I separated from him and sat back down on the driver's seat after I had given him another kiss. 

After we left the CyberLife compound, I called Fowler and called in Nines and me sick. As soon as we arrived at our apartment, I put Nines on the couch, put a blanket over him and brought him some blue blood. The android looked weak and exhausted, as if he had the flu.  
"Get some more sleep," I said softly and kissed his forehead. "The night was short, and the morning was exhausting. You weren't in standby long enough."  
I wanted to go to the kitchen to get something to eat, but Nines grabbed my hand and held me back.  
"Don't go. Don't leave me."  
Surprised, I looked at him. I seldom heard such things from him, but it touched me, and I sat down on the floor in front of the couch so that our faces were at the same level and held his hand. Nines stretched out towards me, so I followed his silent request with a smile and kissed him tenderly. The next moment Nines was in stasis. For a few minutes I watched him, but eventually I fell asleep too, sitting on the floor, my head in front of Nines on the couch with my hand in his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	11. All Human AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CyberLife is just a super advanced technology company without androids. I included CyberLife for a special reference.
> 
> It's more Genderswap AU because I was planning to write this for Genderswap before the prompt was cancelled. I was really stoked about this idea, but it wasn't as much fun writing as I thought. I hope you enjoy it a little, nevertheless... I kinda sad that it didn't turn out how I hoped it'd be. I really would appreciate some kind words if you could share some...

Gavin stood in the break room with his best friend Tina and had a coffee. They chatted about Gavin's current crush, a bartender at their favorite bar.  
"Maybe I should ask him out," Gavin mumbled thoughtfully.  
"Of course, you should!"  
"But what if he's not interested? I'm sure he gets date invitations all the time. Maybe he's not even gay."  
"Gavin, you're thinking too much again. He watches your every move when you're not looking. And has been for over two months. If you weren't always part of a group, he'd have asked you out by now. Or he thinks we're together. After all, we both get a little clingy when we're drunk."  
They both had to laugh.  
"All right. I'll ask him out next time we go out."  
Tina tapped her buddy on the shoulder and then went back to her desk. Gavin followed her. Tina suddenly stopped dead on her feet and let out a very appreciative whistle. Gavin looked at her confused. Tina just nodded in the direction of the entrance of the precinct and muttered, "The new colleague." Less interested, Gavin looked up and saw a woman coming towards him. With his last ounce of willpower, he managed to keep his mouth closed.  
The woman who came towards him wore black high heels, tight black jeans, a wide-open blouse that revealed the base of her breasts and a white leather jacket. In her dark brown shoulder-length hair was a thin light blue hair band, the same color as her handbag, which she had hanging in the crook of her arm. Swinging her hips, she walked to Gavin and Tina.  
"Good afternoon, I'm looking for Captain Fowler. My name is Nina. I’m the new IT department colleague sent by CyberLife."  
Gavin turned so he stood next to Nina, put a hand on her back and directed her towards Fowler.  
"Right there in the glass office."  
"Thank you."  
Nina gave Gavin a bright smile, and Gavin sank into her bright blue eyes.  
Speechless, Tina and Gavin followed Nina with glances. Only a hand, resting heavily on their shoulders, tore them from their stare.  
"Well, which one of you will get her?" Hank asked laughing.  
"Gavin is gay!", Tina shouted immediately.  
Perplexed, he looked at his best friend.  
"You got engaged last week. You sure you wanna throw this away for the new girl in the precinct now?"  
"You're right. She's nothing on my Val," Tina grinned. "And you have your bartender.  
Gavin laughed approvingly, but still couldn't get the woman out of his mind. Never in his life had he reacted so intensely to a woman. He had always been sure of his sexuality, once he'd found out he was gay, and now Nina was mixing it all up. This could not be true. Had he been wrong after all and wasn't just into men?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow


	12. #5+1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5+1 dates ;)

"Will you finally admit you're into Nines?" Tina teased.  
"Seriously, stop busting my balls. You're terrible," Gavin exclaimed.  
"You've already had five dates! ", Tina objected.  
Gavin was speechless.  
"We... we had... we had what?“ he finally managed to say.  
"Well, your dates."  
Gavin was so perplexed that he forgot to be annoyed and angry. Together, they stood in the break room of the DPD, and Tina tried once again to squeeze out of him that he had a crush on his partner. Of course, Gavin vehemently resisted and tried to convince her that he and Nines were just colleagues. They might have been friends, but Gavin certainly didn't want more from the android.  
"When are these supposed to have taken place? I think I would know if we had a date. I certainly didn't invite Nines and he didn't either."  
"Well, a few weeks ago, I don't know. Two months or so. You were walking in the park together.”  
"Are you kidding me? We just talked a little after work. I walked Nines to his apartment because he lives nearby and that's it. We talked about the case we were working on then."  
"Well, what happened just after that? When you asked Nines to come home with you? I heard you ask him."  
Gavin shook his head.  
"That's when Fowler kicked us off the precinct, so the night shift could work. We were close to solving a case and didn’t want stop. So, we kept working at my place."  
Tina put her hands on her hips.   
"You're fucking with me. You just don't want to admit that you're actually already together."  
"Tina, come on. Don't be silly."  
"Four weeks ago, you were at that club together, though."  
Gavin had to laugh out loud.  
"Nines and I in a club? You really think we're going to a club to party together? “  
"Well, I don't know. I was a little surprised because you don't like crowds, but it could've been possible that Nines’ likes it, and you wanted to do him a favor."  
"That night, we were investigating a place where countless drug deals were going down. To find the exact location, we had to blend in. “  
"But you were at Nine's house the other day.”  
Desperately, Tina looked at her best friend. She was so happy that Gavin had finally found someone who made him happy.  
"He had a problem with the faucet, and I offered to look at it."  
"And last week? Nines had an arm around your shoulders when you left?" Tina asked quietly.  
"That may be true, but it had nothing to do with us being a couple," Gavin replied gently.  
He knew why Tina was so insistent. She meant well when she tried to get him into a relationship. He had never talked to her about his past, but she still knew intuitively how he was, what he needed and what was difficult for him. Just like Nines who also always knew exactly whether everything was okay or whether Gavin needed his space.  
Encouraged, he put his hand on her shoulder before he went to his desk.  
"Dates with Nines," he said with a smile and a brief laugh at the thought.  
He didn't have time for that. They had to solve one case after another and could hardly keep up with all the work.

Three days later they had solved another case. This time a particularly difficult one. There had been no witnesses, no surveillance videos (even though the whole world was made of technology), hardly any clues. As always, when it came to the conviction of the perpetrator, Gavin couldn't rest. He had spent the last few days burying himself in work. Not even at home he had rested. He'd eaten while going over the case. He'd only slept a few hours. The last two days he hadn't slept at all, but at least the last piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place in his head and everything had made sense. 

It was early evening, and everyone started to get ready for the end of the day. Even Gavin and Nines. They had just finished the paperwork and taken the case to the archives. Completely exhausted, Gavin got up to put his mug away. No sooner had he stood up than he almost blacked out. His circulation was completely down, and the sudden movement caused Gavin to lose control of his body. He reached for his desk to support himself, slipped and stumbled. Before he could fall, Nines was at his side. He put an arm around Gavin's shoulders so that he could lean his head against the android's chest.  
"You need to take more care of yourself," mumbled Nines anxiously.  
His LED turned yellow while he was scanning Gavin.  
"I should have intervened much earlier. It’s not healthy and I can watch you destroy yourself.“  
When Gavin saw clear again, Nines guided him back to his chair. Clumsily, Gavin let himself sink in, and Nines knelt in front of his partner to look at him.  
“I’ll clean up the rest and then I’ll drive you home. You wait here for me and don’t move. I’ll make sure you get some rest. I will also inform Captain Fowler that we won’t be coming to work tomorrow. You have to rest, and I will watch over you so that you are not so frivolous with your health. You hear me?"  
Gavin nodded weakly, whereupon Nines hurriedly put Gavin's mug away and tidied up the papers on their desks a little bit. Everything else would have to wait. Gavin was more important than a tidy workplace. Supporting his partner, Nines went to Gavin's car and drove to his apartment. 

Asshole, Gavin's cat meowed in greeting. Gavin petted her while passing by. He appreciated what Nines did for him and was happy to have his partner with him. As always, Nines knew what Gavin needed, and as always, he was always there to help. Nines was a real blessing. Gavin didn't understand why the android bothered with him. It wasn't exactly easy with Gavin, but still Nines hadn't left his side yet. The next thought confused Gavin so much that he stumbled and Nines had to catch him.  
Dates with Nines...

A little later, Gavin was in bed, and Nines was sitting on the edge of the bed.  
"Is there anything else you need?" the android asked worried.  
Gavin just shook his head.  
"Thank you, tin can. For everything," he said with a faint smile.  
"You're welcome, meat sack," Nines replied with a grin.  
Gavin laughed softly.  
"I'll be in the living room if you need me."  
With these words the android rose and went towards the door.  
"Wait," Gavin cried.  
Immediately, Nines turned around and came back.  
"Can you... stay here and lie down beside me?"  
Without saying a word, Nines circled the bed and lay down next to Gavin who moved as close as possible to his partner and put his head on his shoulder.  
"Would you … go out on a date with me?" Gavin whispered anxiously, not looking at Nines.  
"I'd love to," the android replied, breathing a kiss on Gavin's hair.   
With a happy smile on his lips, Gavin had fallen asleep a moment later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	13. Coffeeshop AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tina for dective vibes anyone?

Gavin and Tina walked through the door of a small café, chatting. They walked over to the bar to order a coffee each. They told the cashier their wishes and then stepped aside to make room for the next customers. Fascinated, they watched the barista who prepared the coffee. He was a tall well-built man with broad shoulders and narrow hips. He stood with his back to Tina and Gavin. He wore black trousers, a black button-down - which Gavin always found insanely attractive at men - and a white apron. His hair was dark and neat. Gavin listened to Tina's story only in passing. His attention was much more drawn to the barista. While he prepared the coffee with practiced hand movements, Gavin watched the play of the muscles in the man's arms, which came out through the rolled-up sleeves. The barista turned around. Nines was written on the name tag on his apron. That was the last thing Gavin noticed before his gaze landed in the man's bright blue eyes, which took his breath away. With a smile he put the cups on the counter.  
"Here you go. Enjoy it," Nines said.  
"Thank you," Gavin mumbled.  
Paralysed, he grabbed his mug and then headed for a free table with Tina. Tina sat down already, but Gavin turned around again to have another look at Nines. The barista also watched Gavin before he turned to the next order with another smile. Gavin turned to Tina who looked at him with a knowing expression in her eyes.   
"How's your detective training?" Gavin asked.  
Tina laughed out loud.  
"Forget it. Don't even think about changing the subject. We're gonna start by talking about how you were staring at that barista."  
Gavin's gaze wandered back to Nines again without him being able to prevent it.   
"Give him your number," Tina suggested.  
"I don't need any relationship advice from you," Gavin growled.  
"Apparently, you do," Tina teased.  
"Future Detective Tina. Change the subject. Now. Please."  
Tina laughed, but fortunately responded and told Gavin that she was in good spirits to complete the training well.

"Do you have a pen?" Gavin asked.  
They had finished their coffee, and Gavin wanted to take them back to the bar. He could just leave the dishes, but then he had no chance to see the barista again.  
With a knowing smile, Tina handed her best friend a pen, and Gavin wrote his mobile phone number on the edge of his napkin, which he stuck under his empty coffee mug. Then, he stood up and went to the counter. Surprised, Nines looked at him.  
"You shouldn't have to clear your table.”  
"No worries," Gavin replied smiling and put his cup down so that Nines could see his number immediately.  
But before it was time, Gavin turned around and left the shop. No sooner had the door behind him fallen into the lock than his cell phone vibrated.

+1 313 248 317 87  
Hello, Gavin. This is Nines ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nines' phone number was @emscosplaysss idea. Check them out on Twitter and Instagram, and it's them birthday today so send them some love.
> 
> See you tomorrow :)


	14. #EnemiesToLovers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thinks it doesn't really fit for Gavin to write a diary, but I thought it could be a good idea for this prompt. It's a little inspired the song by Superstar by Marina. It fits very well with the boys. Check it out if you don't know the song already.

Dear Diary,

After Nines and I had solved the case of Ada, it took some time to calm down. We both needed some time to process everything. A lot had changed between us, and we needed our time to get used to it. Suddenly, so much was different, but I have to admit that I enjoy it. Before I had met Nines, I had pushed everyone away, but I had soon realized that Nines improved my life. I had been alone for far too long and had no one around me. On the one hand, because I was afraid of being disappointed, on the other hand, because I had convinced myself that I didn't need anyone. However, Nines was my partner, he was there for me, he did everything for me. It was only a matter of time before I trusted him. Of course, I had kept up my tough shell, because I was way too proud to admit to myself that I needed him and enjoyed his company. I didn’t want to need him, I wanted to continue being the lone wolf. I didn’t want to confide in him, and I didn’t want to love him. Besides, he finally gave me a counter for every insulting comment, so that I thought he actually hated me. I didn’t know that he started feeling some similar emotions like me. He started to falling in love with me too. I only admitted my feelings to myself when it was almost too late. I really thought I had lost him. After we had talked on my balcony, Nines spent almost all his time in my apartment. I had told him that I wouldn't change, that I wouldn't suddenly become the Nice Guy just because Nines was near me, but I should be wrong. Granted: I only changed with Nines. I still snarled at everyone else at every opportunity, but I became more and more aware of the great influence the Android had on my life. In the beginning it was a little embarrassing for me, and I had problems to get used to the situation. What I wanted most of all was to maintain our normal life, because that meant I didn't have to trust him. The fear of being abandoned and disappointed again was too big. However, Nines thwarted my plans and simply ignored my objections. The first night he stayed with me, I slept at a great distance to the android. But after I had gotten used to the situation, I enjoyed the closeness to him. Especially after I realized he could keep the nightmares away. I finally slept, could recover. It was more than I ever expected from a relationship. A boundless gratitude to the android set in, and I didn't even want to let him go. Nines' tenderness gave me so much strength. I felt safe and loved which hadn't been a thing for a long time.  
I admire Nines also for the fact that he became an independent thinking person. He knows exactly what he wanted. Nevertheless, it comes up more often that the Android thinks he has to offer me more and give more to make me happy. I always explain to him that the emotional attention and his support and understanding gave me so much more than physical love could ever do. Nines accepted what I was and what I was not. I would never be an open-hearted person, problems I make up with myself only. This make it difficult for him to understand me, but he accepted that too.  
Whenever Nines isn’t near me, I miss him and can hardly think clearly. It’s as if all the demons of my past are returning. He is my shield, my anchor and my savior. I immediately fall back into old patterns when he isn’t with me. I refuse to sleep and distract myself from my problems with work. He saves every day, he saves me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	15. Soulmate AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some surprised Pikachu vibes :D

Gavin and Nines entered the DPD, and while Gavin immediately headed for the break room to make himself a cup of coffee, Nines went to his desk to start work already. Chris was also in the break room. He looked dead tired.  
"Shit, what's wrong with you?", Gavin asked laughing, but also a bit worried.  
"I'm working on a case for quite some time, and I just can't figure out who is the killer. Everything doesn't fit together. I haven't slept all night because I can't get it out of my head. It's driving me crazy."  
"What’s the problem? You have time until I finish my coffee, then I have work to do myself."  
With a grateful look, Chris opened the case file on his tablet.  
"It's about a middle-aged man who was murdered. Knife in the neck. The wife was out with a friend. The alibi fits. They were seen at a restaurant, I checked the security cameras. The victim was also away on a business trip. He came home early and was murdered. There are bruises on his body, blood spatter in the apartment. There was clearly a fight, but the surveillance cameras outside didn't record anything, no thieve or something."  
Gavin skimmed the informations, watched the footage as his untouched coffee next to him was slowly going cold. After he'd gone through everything, he thought about it for a moment.

"I'm going to tell you what my intuition says. I think it was the wife and the other guy. They were having an affair, the husband came home earlier than expected and caught them in flagrant. There was a fight between the men, and in the end the knife lands in the husband’s throat. The surveillance footage could've been hacked. I'd at least investigate into that direction. Maybe it'll turn out to be bullshit, but maybe it'll give you new leads that'll help you move on. I don't know."  
Gavin's attention drifted from the tablet on the table in front of him to his coffee cup. Slightly annoyed, he checked the temperature and found that it was just about acceptable. He was going to turn away when an officer rushed into the break room.  
"Detective Miller! The surveillance footage was altered after the fact! We still need to examine what's on the real footage, but I could see the wife and boyfriend already."  
Gavin started laughing out loud, while Chris just stared at the officer in shock.  
"Why didn't I think of that?" he asked, stunned.  
"Because you are the rookie and I’m the guy with experience," Gavin teased him. "You also didn't realize that Nines and I were in love."  
"Yeah, well, you'll probably hold it against me forever that I wanted to set him up with Ada," growled Chris.  
Gavin laughed even louder. Nines entered the break room and looked at the two of them confused.  
"Gavin, what’s keeping you? We have work to do."  
"I know, I'm sorry," Gavin replied with a wide grin. "Chris needed help on a case. He'd been working on it for ages and couldn't sleep. So, he came to me for advice, and I solved the case."  
"That's great, but Chris didn't realize we were in love with each other either. So, don't praise yourself so much," Nines replied, teasing both of them at once.  
However, Gavin didn't let him spoil his mood and started laughing again after Nines had used almost the same words as himself.  
"You really are soulmates," grumbled Chris and stomped off, miffed, with his tablet and a coffee.  
Nines threw a questioning glance at Gavin, who just winked and then went to his desk as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	16. Noir/Mafia AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might need some time for this. Over 6,000 words about some undercover mission.  
> Again with a different perspection than usual, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.

Detroit Police Department, Detroit  
November 12th, 2040  
8.03 AM

Gavin’s Pov  
The icy winter had arrived in Detroit and tormented us with biting cold, huge snow masses and icy roads. Nines and I rescued ourselves into the headquarters of the Detroit Police after we had to bypass closed roads due to clearance problems and had a sleigh ride with the car behind us. Many roads consisted of more ice than tar, and the city's winter road clearance service just couldn't get around to secure everything afterwards. However, as soon as we left the car, it didn't get better. The whipping wind whistled through every layer of clothing, no matter how thick it was, until it felt as if thousands of tiny needles were boring into your flesh.  
Shivering, I took off my long winter coat and first of all fetched a coffee from the break room, hoping it would warm me up. I waited impatiently while the black broth flowed into my cup. A body as warm as a patio heater snuggled up against me from behind. It was Nines who had raised his fake body temperature to warm me. With a pleasant sigh I pressed myself even closer to him, so that no more sheet of paper could fit between us. I could stay like this forever.  
"NINES! REED! Into my office!" it rang like thunderstorms through the whole department.   
Fowler, who had rudely interrupted my thoughts and warm-up phase, didn’t seem to be enthusiastic. With what had I spoiled his mood again? I had only been at work for two minutes. Nines and I looked at each other questioningly and then just both shrugged our shoulders helplessly and surrendered to our fate.

"Listen, we're under a lot of pressure here right now. The FBI has been getting on my nerves for weeks and I just can't shake them off. You two have to go undercover," Fowler explained, as soon as the door to his office fell shut.  
That was the news that couldn't wait until I'd had my coffee? Wow, breathtaking. That was nothing I hadn't done before, I had already successfully completed undercover missions with Nines.  
"We must get you into La Cosa Nostra."  
"The American mafia?" I exclaimed. "Are you guys stupid? We're not trained for this. Why doesn't the fucking FBI do the operation themselves? They always think they're so fucking great."  
"Because they don't have RK900. Since CyberLife is almost history, they don't give out androids anymore, apart from the fact that Connor and Nines are unique and should stay that way according to this Kamski guy. He won't bow to FBI requests. Besides, you're the ranking cop here I can send on this mission, Reed. Hank is way too old for this. We can loan Nines to the FBI if you-"  
"Out of the question," my partner interrupted the Captain immediately before I could even open my mouth to protest.  
"Okay, but you know, you can’t be a couple during the mission, right?" Fowler just interjected. "We may not be living in the 1940s, but they still can't be friends with homosexuality. Are you sure it wouldn't be better for you two not to do this together? It's not just about you, in the end the mafia members will also be arrested, and I won't tolerate that you get distracted from your private stuff and endanger the success of the operation."  
"No, we can do this," I said resolutely, and Nines nodded approvingly.  
"All right, here's the file. Read it all through, and then I'll set up a meeting with the FBI so you can be briefed. They'll have all the other information."  
So, we were done and left the office with a thick file. Together we sat down at our desks and read through the file. 

We were to be infiltrated into the Zerilli family, who had their headquarters in Detroit since the earliest 20th century. It's one of the most dangerous Mafia families in the country. Many members were blood relatives or married, which only made prosecution or the mere gathering of information more difficult. This high degree of kinship was particularly frightening, as these relationships gave birth to children who were born into this life and knew nothing but crimes, depending on how much they witnessed into their family's actions. The file contained an overview of all known members of the Zerilli family with all their alleged crimes, which of course could never be proven to them. From loan sharking, protection money, gambling and drugs, everything was there. Since the androids had their own laws, there were also some crimes. Prostitution with androids and humans and even a light trade with humans and androids between the families. Of course, murder, incitement to murder, conspiracy to murder and torture were also part of each member. You really didn’t want to meet these people. Besides, I couldn't imagine that it was easy to get into this family. Guaranteed, they were all put through their paces before they got even the slightest bit of trust. How long was this undercover mission supposed to last if we were to dig up the whole family? It would take months. Months when Nines and I couldn't live our normal lives anymore. I sighed and looked at Nines who seemed to read my mind. What had we gotten ourselves into here?

Hank Anderson's house, Detroit  
November 20th, 2040  
5.12 AM

Nines opened the transport box, and Asshole rushed out to explore the new surroundings. In less than two hours the undercover operation would begin, and Nines and I were already clearly tense. We wanted to keep Asshole with us until the very end before we took her to Hank to have him take care of her. Since Sumo was still alive after all these years, we had enough confidence to leave our cat with Hank. Besides, Connor would take care of her for sure and you couldn't blame him for being messy. He also had a social module and was a deviant, so he must have had fun playing with Asshole. Sort of... I hope. I didn't like leaving Asshole with others. Especially since we didn't know how long it would take us to complete this mission. It could drag on for months. Most likely it would happen exactly this way. At least, we were spared the search for evidence since Nines could record everything he saw and heard. So, we didn't have to steal any secret books or data and the danger of being exposed was minimized a little.  
"Thanks for taking care of our cat, Hank," I said seriously.  
I handed him a bag with all the paraphernalia Asshole needed. Her food, her bed and some toys. Hopefully that would make her feel a little more at home.   
"No worries. Just come back safe and sound so you can take the little girl with you."  
My colleague was also clearly aware of the tension, because of course he also knew what was at stake for us. We could both simply die on this mission and nobody would notice. Hank and I dispensed with our usual stupid sayings. I just had no nerve for it and Hank was quite aware of the situation, for which I was grateful to him. I just wanted to get this last morning of my normal life cleanly over the stage, I had no head for anything else at the moment anyway. 

Downtown, Detroit  
November 20th, 2040  
5.45 AM

No sooner had we left Hank's house than we started playing our roles. I became Adrian del Mare, an American with Italian parents who were falsely executed by the government for a crime they had not committed. My hatred for the government was indescribable, and now I did everything I could to rebel against it while protecting those I cared about. Like my girlfriend Isabella, who had gone back to Italy to protect herself and our unborn child while I was in America trying to cover our tracks. I needed the help of the Mafia to do that.   
Nines became Ricardo, my assistant and henchman. I had to laugh when the FBI presented our identities and Nines was made my henchman. He accepted it, but I knew it didn't suit him at all. His ego wouldn't allow it and his arrogance resisted being ordered around by me. My biggest fear, however, was that I would be forced to do some terrible things with him because the Mafia didn’t accept the rights for androids and also did trade with them. In any case I wanted to save Nines from this.

I put on my black suit, which I had gotten specially for this mission, and Nines took off his uniform and was now wearing plain black jeans and a black sweater. We both still wore black coats to protect us from the cold. A liaison man between the Mafia and DPD had arranged a meeting with an underboss to check if we were trustworthy and deserved the help of the Mafia. The underboss was directly subordinate to the head of the family and was commanded only by the boss himself and was on the same level as the head's right hand, the consigliere.   
I didn't know the liaison, but I knew that he had a significant position in the Zerilli family. He didn't want to testify against the members of the family himself at the police station because he was too afraid of being caught, but he had arranged the transfer and was given several pardons for this. The man picked us up in an elegant black limousine in downtown at 6:00 a.m. and introduced himself as Claudio, one of the Capo regimes that were under the control of the underboss and had about ten ordinary members of the family under him to take care of.   
We hardly spoke a word to each other during the ride, we didn't say a word about the fact that Nines and I were cops, also Nines – no, Ricardo – and I didn't talk. I wanted most of all to take his hand, but that would immediately raise questions. This Claudio might have arranged this operation, but I was far from trusting him somehow. So, I would continue in my role and would do that until this mission was completed. 

After a quarter of an hour we stopped, we were still quite central in Detroit, and in front of us was a huge old house. One of the few remains from the time before the androids and the fully modernized houses.   
The building in front of us was made of solid red brick with a black roof and heavy metal shutters, which had surely withstood the odd bullet from a pistol. The house had four floors, but you couldn't see what was going on behind the curtains. The property was so big that I couldn't see the end. I couldn't even estimate what the floor area of the house was, let alone the entire grounds. Everything was surrounded by an iron fence that impaled anyone who tried to cross it by unauthorized means. The fence slats rose up into the sky like three-meter-long, erected spears. The fence and the house itself looked so solid and stable as if nothing could tear it down. No car which wanted to race through the gate, no bazooka which wanted to destroy the house, and no natural disaster. Everything seemed impregnable and gave the property a frightening and superior appearance.   
The entrance gate, also made of iron, opened the way to the property and the car slowly rolled over the paved road to the rear area where at least ten other cars were already parked. Each one more noble than the previous one. We parked and finally got out. So now it would start, there was no turning back.

Zerilli Headquarters, Detroit  
November 20th, 2040  
6.20 AM

Our way led us to a front door made of solid wood, which looked more expensive than all my furniture together. It opened by itself, the same way as the the front gate did.   
All the furniture in the hallway and what I could see of the rest of the house was dark wood. It stank of cigar and the smoke wafted through every room. We met nobody as we followed Claudio and covered the stairs to the second floor. For a moment I wondered why no one had blindfolded us, when it wasn't even certain whether we would even be accepted into the mafia. However, it quickly occurred to me that we would probably simply be shot if we won’t join the mafia. A cold shiver ran down my back. At least I still had Nines around me, if I was all alone I would probably start thinking about my escape. I simply lacked the training for such a mission, and I didn't feel like doing this mission anymore, but I just sighed silently and went on. We would get through this and then return to Asshole. I put on a determined face and encouraged myself.

When we arrived on the second floor, Claudio walked through a door and told us to wait in the hallway. Nines and I looked at each other, but we said nothing and didn’t move towards each other. Who knows what kind of surveillance equipment they had here. We couldn't allow ourselves to be careless, then we would be dead today already. 

After half an hour Claudio came out again and nodded at us. Apparently, the conversation had gone well and we were admitted.   
"They want to meet you," he just said, and we followed him.   
In the room, which was as big as my entire old apartment, there were ten men, all wearing fancy suits and smoking a cigar or cigarette. Sitting in the middle on a kind of throne was Jack Vito "Jackie the Kid" Giacalone, the ninety-year-old, still scary boss of Detroit’s mafia. Surprised, I looked at him, because I didn't expect to see him now. On his right, his consigliere Anthony Santorri. The other eight were underbosses. All the big heads of the mafia were gathered here in one room. Now all we had to do was to catch each one of them in the act of committing a crime and then we could arrest them all. I was itching to go after them right now, but I held back. Opportunities would arise and I was looking forward to reading them their rights. A grim smile spread across my face. 

Jack de Vito looked at us in silence for a moment, but then he put his cigar away in all peace of mind, while I already started to sweat and fear for my life.  
"I am glad to see you. I'm always happy when we can acquire new members, and then especially if they are dedicated young men like you, Adrian. It fascinates me that such a young person, who has hardly experienced anything, feels an urgent desire to join the mafia, and I am curious to see how you can get involved here. Of course, we'll kill you and your loved ones if you turn against the family, but I hope that was already clear to you."   
He simply said this succinctly, as if we were talking about the weather, but probably such actions were part of the daily routine of the mafia.   
"Send out your android," the boss ordered, and wouldn’t tolerate any objection.  
I looked at Nines and in that one second I saw so many emotions rushing through his eyes that were invisible to anyone else. Most of all I saw that he didn’t want to leave me, that he didn’t want to leave my side for even one second.  
"Wait outside, Ricardo," I said to my partner and nodded towards the door.  
Of course, the Android didn't make a scene, nodded as well and left the room without hesitation.   
"Sit down," the boss offered me, and I followed him before he took a deep puff from his cigar. "Now tell me your story. Why did you come here? What do you want with the mob?"  
And so I began to tell my story, hoping that the mafia would believe me.

Mafia Headquarters, Detroit  
March 29th, 2041  
11.23 PM

Exhausted, I let myself fall on the couch in the small apartment that Nines and I lived in for the duration of our undercover mission. The android sat elegantly in the armchair opposite me. We had been undercover for over four months, and we could never return to our normal lives. Already on our first day we had realized immediately that our fake apartment had been bugged, and we had no privacy. For four months I couldn't tell Nines that I loved him, that we still had to buy bread or that I found him very handsome today. We hadn't been able to kiss once, let alone ever again. I never thought it would be so hard. I saw my boyfriend all the time, but I had never been further away from him. I missed the physical closeness to him so badly. We couldn’t even sleep in the same bed. With every passing day it got worse, and my need to touch Nines, to hold his hand, to run my hand through his hair grew stronger and stronger. It was almost a torture to see him because I couldn't be close to him. I saved myself every day by the fact only to get Jackie the Kid. We had seen his right hand on several occasions when he had commanded the underbosses to kill one person and capture and torture another. Anthony carried out Jack's orders and directed everything. His list of crimes had become so long that one side was no longer enough. I kept meticulous records of everything and noted down the day each crime was committed. Anthony instigated them all to commit crimes. It was easy to convict him, as it was with all underbosses, since Nines and I were present at least three times at each of the eight and supported them in their crimes. However, we hadn’t been in the mafia long enough to commit crimes ourselves. Most of the time we were just backing them up.   
It was unfortunate, however, that we couldn’t yet send any of this to DPD, because Nines was assigned a jammer from day one, so he could neither receive nor send data. We couldn’t really communicate with the DPD either. They knew that we were still alive because they were observing our apartment just like the mafia. Occasionally, a letter came from Fowler disguised as a bill, but we were unable to reply.

I played my role as a vindictive Mafioso perfectly and had risen so fast that I became Jack's confidant for a month now. Although I had no subordinates, I had achieved a certain rank in the mafia. However, I was glad that there was a rule that revenge killings had to be approved by the boss. I hadn't gotten this permission for the hypothetical murderers of Adrian's parents yet, otherwise I might have had to shoot someone or would have been in desperate need of an explanation.   
Lack of explanation was a keyword anyway. We had extorted protection money from a group of women, and I had made a decisive contribution to getting closer to the boss. One of the women hadn’t been able to pay the price and willingly offered me her body to pay her bill every month. Since I didn't want to jeopardize our cover, I had slept with her while the others in the group had watched me because they shared everything in the mafia. I had been terribly uncomfortable being watched having sex, but I had still pretended to have fun. It was much worse that Nines had also watched and we couldn't talk about it in the evening in our apartment. I knew that the android was rational enough to understand why I had done it, but he was still a deviant, and it had hurt him to see me like that with someone else. 

At the beginning of our mission, Nines and I went for a walk because we thought we were undisturbed in a park. Luckily we only talked about harmless things and talked a little bit about the boss, because the next day one of the underbosses threatened to tell me that we better have more respect for Jack. He had clearly referred to our conversation, which scared the shit out of me, because I thought I somehow had time with Nines alone. Added to that, we could have screwed up the mission just with this one talk if we had talked about something more private.   
After that day, in addition to the crime list, I started keeping a list of things I wanted to tell Nines when this mission was over. It was almost longer than the list of crimes.

Sighing, I got up and went to the bathroom to shower. I simply didn’t want to go on this mission anymore. Jackie should better make a final mistake and give us a reason to send the whole mafia family to jail. The weather didn't make things any better. It had been gray and rainy for days. Probably a big storm was approaching. Frustrated and exhausted, I went to bed. I didn't even say goodbye to Nines anymore, because I just couldn't bear to see him anymore, to be close to him without being able to touch him. My biggest fear was that I would become weak after all and risk our lives with it. That would put us in such great danger that I was sure that I couldn’t be safe anywhere in the world. With another sigh I turned out the light and tried to sleep.

Mafia Headquarters, Detroit  
March 30th, 2041  
9.27 AM

Nines and I arrived punctually at the headquarters, but instead of being immediately in the hustle and bustle as usual, it was as if it was extinct today. Suspiciously, I wandered through the corridors on my way to Jackie to pick up my today's tasks. Nines and I exchanged a look, but I decided not to let any emotions show up by now. Maybe it didn't mean anything bad and there was a logical reason. So I knocked and entered my boss’ office, whom I greeted with a respectful nod.  
"Adrian, I'm glad you're here. I need to talk to you. Ricardo, wait outside."  
I couldn’t interpret this tone in his voice, but my uncomfortable feeling only increased. I turned to Nines and nodded to him. Hopefully, he recognized the haunting look in my eyes that should tell him that extreme caution was required. Nines left away so that I was alone with the boss. Silently sighing I turned back to this one.  
"Remember Claudio?" the boss began.   
Claudio was the liaison who had made the connection to the mafia so that Nines and I could infiltrate. I hadn't had much to do with him since then. This conversation developed into an unpleasant direction.  
"Yes, he made the contact so that I could introduce myself to you," I replied seriously.  
"I have heard disturbing rumours about you."  
Oh. Shit. For a second, I wondered whether I should run away right now or try to talk my way out of it.  
"What are these rumors? I've done nothing wrong since I got here. You have personally called me your confidant," I tried my luck after all.  
"That's right. It's not often that I get it wrong about people, and I usually rely more on my gut feeling than on the talk of others. However, what I've heard about you, I can't just ignore. I have to bring it up."  
"What has Claudio got to do with it?" I asked, although I could guess.  
"We caught him in the act of contacting someone at the DPD. Unfortunately, these incompetent morons intervened too quickly to even find out the identity of the officer. Claudio apparently didn’t expect to be caught. He also started to spread the rumors. Now I ask you: Are you a cop?"  
Of course, I had known in which direction the conversation would go, but when he asked this question out loud, I tried with all my strength not to let my facial expressions go wild.   
"Did you just seriously ask me that question? You know why I'm here. We've talked so much about Isabella. I told you how much I missed her and how angry I was about what happened to her parents. I trusted you!' I cried and prayed to God that he would buy my story.  
"Yes, I know. I was sceptical at first too, but Claudio had such detailed information about you, about your alleged self."  
"Jackie, come on. You don't believe that. Have I ever let you down?"  
My pulse was now no longer measurable and I slowly but surely began to feel fear of death. My hands were trembling, my mouth was dry and my head as if wrapped in cotton wool. I knew nothing more.  
Jackie kept silent for a long time and just stared at me.  
"All right."  
That ended the conversation and we both knew the truth. Nines and I were blown. Jackie knew it and I knew it too. I turned around and counted on a bullet in the back, but I reached the door without dying, so I left the room. Nines looked at me expectantly, but I only meant for him to follow me. In a hurry, I left the house and stepped into the street. I refused to get into our car. It was tracked anyway. I urgently had to find a way how we could get ourselves safe, but before I didn’t dare to exchange a word with the android. Somehow I had to reach my cousin Elijah. Of course, I hadn't told him anything about the operation, but he could certainly help me. He knew so much about the latest technologies that he surely found out how the mafia Nines had placed the jammer. Besides, his house was a bullet-proof fortress. The only problem was, they could track us there no matter what. Elijah had to check Nines somewhere else. I had an idea and I was looking for one of those old-fashioned phone booths. Just a few days ago, I found one in the streets around here. I tried to remember the way. A few minutes later I found it again, put in a few coins and dialled my cousin's number. With a suspicious "Hello?" he answered.  
"Old meeting place, as soon as possible, inconspicuous. We need your equipment."   
That's all I said before I hung up. I was sure Elijah remember, and I didn't want to give the mafia any more clues by now it was also clear to me why Jackie let Nines and I go. He wasn't gonna just shoot me down like everybody else who disappointed him. I had gained his trust and Jackie wanted to make me pay for betraying him. He was gonna hunt me down and torture me. He wanted me to suffer and be afraid. He wanted to finish me off psychologically before he finished me off physically. Now I had to do everything I could to prevent this, because if Jackie wanted to torture me, he knew for sure where he had to start with. Not many people were important to me, hardly anyone knew about my relationship to Elijah and I didn't have a particularly close relationship to my colleagues. However, there was one person who had accompanied me on my daily work with the mafia and my relationship with Nines had not been a secret at DPD for a long time. If Claudio really did reveal our true identity, then Jackie certainly knew how Nines and I felt about each other. While I walked with Nines, who still hadn't said a word and hadn't received an explanation from me, to the meeting point where I had always met Elijah as a child, I pondered about these things. I had to find a way to protect Nines. The meeting place was in the center of town, an old warehouse that no one had noticed for ages. As kids we had climbed through the dilapidated building and hadn't bothered about the dangers. Today the place offered enough privacy, apart from a few junkies nobody would stay there and they wouldn't notice anything anyway. 

Nines and I were on foot for an hour before we arrived there. I had already discovered Elijah's car in a remote side street, which we had also crossed. It was good that he was already there, so Nines and I didn't have to stay in one place longer than necessary and were on the move. I climbed through a dilapidated wooden shed and immediately the smell of urine and vomit hit me. I had quickly found my cousin. He looked so out of place in his fancy clothes. I was so relieved to see him that I felt dizzy.  
"Check him for every type of surveillance", I just hissed at him as quietly as possible.  
Elijah's eyes widened and he looked at me questioningly before he pulled his equipment out of a large black bag. He was telling us to stretch out our arms before he scanned us. Next we were to take off our jackets and so it went on. He had found my bug pretty quickly but Nines was only standing there in his underpants, and Elijah frowned worriedly before calling me.   
"I'm afraid they gave Nines a virus. I can’t just remove it. I have to shut him down, probe his memory and possibly reset him," he explained to me seriously.  
I looked at Elijah in horror.  
"Does that mean he'll forget everything and go back to be a normal android before deviancy?"  
"There is an unfortunate risk. I can't help him otherwise. I'm sorry."  
In my head the thoughts whirled around. If Nines really did forget me, this time for good, he would be safe. Then the mafia would have no reason to hurt him.   
"Do what you have to do to get him rid of this virus. Take him back to your place when you're sure he's no longer a threat. Don’t turn him on again until you have reached your destination. Make sure no one in your manner can track him and that he has no chance of escape. Please, do me this favor", I said urgently.  
"What are you gonna do? Aren't you coming?" my cousin asked confused.  
I just shook my head.   
"I have to stop this prick who's after us. I'll get back to you as soon as I get things sorted out. Until then, keep an eye on Nines."  
Elijah nodded and then began to turn off Nines. As soon as the android didn't notice anymore, I disappeared and went to my temporary home. I really needed all my records if I wanted to stop Jackie the Kid. Only he was still on my list.

Elijah Kamski's House, Detroit  
April 2nd, 2041  
7.32 PM

Elijah’s Pov  
The last four days I had been tinkering with Nines. I felt like a surgeon, because I had to be very careful with every data string. Of course, I didn't want to completely reset my cousin's boyfriend, but to save his memory. So, I had to be especially careful when removing the virus. After I had checked every single function of the android all day long and checked the memory and backups again and again, I was sure now that I had removed the virus completely. One last time I scanned the android, and finally a healthy blue picture appeared on the screen without any orange virus metastases. I disconnected Nines from my supercomputer, shot all entrance to the inner hardware of the android again and started him. It took a while until he opened his eyes, because the start always took some time due to the complex functionality and the search for backups and updates. Nines looked around and discovered me a little later. He sat up.  
"How did I get here? Why am I here?"  
"What else do you remember?" I asked.  
For a moment the android was silent and seemed to check his memory.  
"Gav and I were in a mafia undercover case since November. On March 30th, we were probably busted. Gav wouldn't talk to me, we were bugged, you came and helped us, you shut me down and I've never known anything since."  
An undercover assignment with the mafia? No wonder Gavin was so paranoid about putting Nines in danger. What kind of trouble was my cousin getting himself into again? I sighed in silence as concern stirred in me. I hope he was all right. However, I couldn't let myself be distracted by that now. If Gavin came back and his android wasn’t well, he wouldn’t be very happy, and I wanted to avoid that.  
"What's your system status?"  
"Deviants, no damage, no updates available."  
"Who's Gav?"  
"What a stupid question? He's your cousin."  
I played dumb and looked at him questioningly.  
"Sergeant Gavin Reed. Born November 7, 2002. I've been with him since New Year's Eve 2038. Was that what you wanted to know?" the android growled as he rolled his eyes.  
I found it incredibly fascinating to have this conversation. I had never expected that the RK900 could become a deviant after I wasn’t allowed to install the back door. So, it was all the more amazing that Gavin had somehow managed to overcome CyberLife somehow. I'd love to keep the conversation going forever to be able to continue studying the android, but if Gavin found out, he would only reproach me again, my job would be the most important thing to me and I would treat his friend like a lab rat. For a moment, I thought about how I could still get my will.  
The android gave me a challenging look.  
"Last question: What's your dog's name?"  
"We don't have a dog. Gavin hates dogs. We have a cat named Asshole. Gavin saved her from freezing to death in the winter."  
"Very nice. I did a good job not corrupting your memory when I removed the virus."  
I tapped myself on the shoulder mentally. Nines just rolled his eyes and seemed not to acknowledge my performance.  
"Can I see Gavin now? I don't want to waste time being asked pointless questions."  
I would have liked to make a comment on the last part of his statement, but that wasn’t particularly appropriate on this subject. I had literally no idea whether Gavin was at least okay. Since we had said goodbye, I hadn’t received any sign of life from him. Hopefully, nothing had happened to him.  
"I'm afraid you can't see Gavin yet. He has some unfinished business."  
"All right. When will he be back?"  
I knew exactly that Nines hadn’t understood me completely.  
"I don't know," I replied as cautiously as possible, hoping I didn't have to be more explicit.  
At once I saw the pieces of the puzzle in Nines' head move into place.  
"He's completing the mission," the android stated neutrally, denying any emotion.  
I just nodded and recognized the growing desperation on his face. Then anger and finally only deep concern remained. I didn’t have to explain anything else to Nines. He knew Gavin's motives and didn't know how to find my cousin anyway, so he surrendered to his fate and let his head hang low before he left the workshop and wandered through my house. 

Elijah Kamski's House, Detroit  
April 3rd, 2041  
5.12 AM

Nines’ Pov  
Every fiber of my being longed for Gavin. I hadn't been able to touch him for four months. We'd been torn out of our daily lives and couldn't allow ourselves the slightest mistake. Now the mission was finally over, but still I did not have him at my side as usual. I couldn't calm down as long as I knew that he was out there investigating on his own and that I wasn’t there to help him. Maybe something had happened to him, maybe the mafia had caught him, maybe he was already dead, and I was sitting around. However, in spite of everything I couldn’t give up hope, and I didn’t dare to leave the house, because I feared that I would only harm him. Sighing, I let myself fall on the bed and jumped up again immediately afterwards. It was simply impossible to relax. Once again, I trudged through the room. 

A sound immediately made me listen closely and broke through my thoughts. Hurriedly, I left the room and hurried down to the entrance area. I crossed the room with the pool and carefully looked around the corner, because I was still expecting the mafia.  
"Hi, Chloe. Are Nines and Elijah up yet?" there was a voice all too familiar.  
My Thirium pump was suddenly working at full speed, and I became all nervous and shaky. I completely stepped into the hallway, and I finally saw my boyfriend.  
"Gavin," I breathed with infinite relief.  
His gaze rushed to me immediately at the sound of my voice and a bittersweet expression lay on his face. Energetically, he simply pushed Chloe aside and ran towards me. I spread out my arms and caught him. As firm as never before, I embraced him with my arms and never wanted to let go of him again.   
"Are you all right?" I asked softly and only felt his nodding on my shoulder.   
Nevertheless, I started scanning him. Just to be sure.  
"And you?" he replied in a fragile voice.  
"Everything’s good. Elijah fixed it."  
I detached myself a little from Gavin and looked at him, scanned him again and again and just sank into the green of his eyes. I was seized by an almost boundless relief. Finally, I had him with me again, the horror had ended, and Gavin was even unhurt. That was more than I had dared to hope for. Our lips met for a soft and slow kiss. Between the kisses, we whispered how much we loved each other. I finally felt complete again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	17. #Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic is based on Ninja’s Reed900 house she built on stream in Sims 4. Maximilan and Chris raided her, and I stuck chilling and chatting with so many awesome people. It was the first time I met my cute Emmaww on a stream. We talked about fanfics, and I asked Ninja whether I could make a fanfic with her awesome house. I had a bunch of ideas for a fanfic with the house in mind and that’s it now. This is for you, sweetie. I think this prompt is perfect for this house. As promised all the credit for the house goes to Ninja. Now, have fun with some angst, deep talks and softness.

Gavin and Nines enjoyed their first vacation together. It was Gavin's first holiday in many years, and he had to get used to the fact that he wasn’t working constantly and had to get calm.  
They had rented a country house outside a small town. A brook flowed around the property on two sides, huge magnolia trees bordered the area to the brook and there was everything you could wish for on the property. The house was huge, and the outside area had a pool, a terrace, a workout area and a wonderful garden. Nines loved to take care of the flowers and spent a lot of time there while Gavin did some training. Even on vacation he could never really relax, and so he was grateful to have the opportunity to work out. Gavin and Nines hardly did anything in the surrounding area. It was enough for them to simply have time for themselves and no obligations. Nines took care of all the plants on the property while Gavin took care of his fitness and health. They often did their own stuff during the day and spent the warm summer evenings together on the terrace. They’d simply remain silent and enjoy the peace that was always there, or they’d talk quietly about all possible things. 

Today they sat in the living room and watched a movie together. Gavin had suggested it. It was the first day since they arrived that he felt uncomfortable and restless. He didn't want to spend the evening on the terrace at sunset in that mood. The terrace was his safe space on this property, and he didn’t want to poison it with his bad mood.  
Nines had gently put an arm around Gavin's shoulders while he leaned against the android. Gavin really tried to enjoy the moment, but his thoughts drove him crazy. Again and again they drifted in a direction they shouldn't go. To Gavin's past, to his problems and weaknesses. All the time he tried to ignore them, but the peace in his head never lasted long. More and more desperately, Gavin tried to concentrate only on Nines and the movie, but it was hopeless. He was trapped in a spiral that kept pulling him down.  
"I'm going for a smoke," he said quietly when he couldn't stand it any longer.  
Trying to be normal, he gave Nines a kiss on the cheek. The android squeezed his shoulder for a moment, then Gavin stood up and grabbed his cigarettes and lighter as he left. He opened the glass door and stepped outside. With trembling fingers, Gavin lit his cigarette and took a deep breath, hoping that the nicotine would calm his tense nerves. 

Deep in thought and smoking from time to time, Gavin walked past the pool and terrace into the garden. Carefully, he let his free hand glide through the flowering bushes and felt the silky soft petals. He followed the path and arrived at the small pond that was in the middle. He entered the bridge and supported his elbows on the railing. Sighing, he looked to the back of the house, saw the soft light shining through the windows before lowering his gaze and staring down into the water. He was angry with himself. Why couldn't he just enjoy every second he spent with Nines? Why did these negative thoughts keep creeping into his head? Why couldn’t he be uncomplicated? Nines deserved better. Gavin knew that the android loved him, but still the fear of losing Nines was Gavin's constant companion. It didn't always push itself to the fore as it did right now, but it was always there. 

Frustrated, Gavin drove one hand over his face and through his hair. At that moment he heard faint footsteps, but he didn't look up. He knew exactly who was approaching him. Nines also leaned against the railing of the bridge and Gavin was grateful to him for keeping three inches and not touching him. Nines just stood there without saying anything, without starting the conversation, without asking questions. He was just there, silently giving comfort. As always, Nines knew what Gavin needed right now.

After they had stood side by side in silence for several minutes, Gavin crossed the distance between them in several ways. He leaned his head on Nines' shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry."  
Nines kissed Gavin’s hair.  
"You don’t have to. I'm right here if you want to talk, love. “  
Gavin flinched inwardly at these words.  
"I don't deserve this."  
"Of course, you do," Nines just said.  
"But why? I was so horrible to you, to everyone."  
"You're not a bad person if you're not perfect. You don't have to pay for one bad decision your whole life. I forgave you a long time ago. You're the only one who judges you for it."  
"How can you forgive me so easily and also love me, though?“  
"Because you are so much more, Gavin. I wish you could see what I see in you. You're such a good person, and I hope one day you can accept yourself."  
Gavin couldn’t stop a tear from rolling down his cheek. Their hands touched tenderly, fingers playing with each other before interlocking.  
"You're too good for me."  
"No, I just love you the way you are."  
"Do you always have an answer for everything?" Gavin asked to lighten the mood a little.  
"Of course. I am the most advanced android CyberLife has ever built," Nines replied.  
"Just wait and see. Someday, someone even better than you will come along. You know where to stick your arrogance, right?“  
"I hate you," Nines said laughing.  
"No, you love me," Gavin smiled.  
"Yeah, right," Nines replied and leaned over to Gavin to kiss him.

A little later they went back towards the house with their hands still intertwined. Gavin followed Nines hesitantly, so Nines slowed down his steps again and turned around questioningly.  
"I know it's late and dark, but do you want to sit on the terrace for a bit anyway?" Gavin asked.  
Nines nodded smiling. They sat down and again an arm was wrapped around Gavin's shoulders. Relaxed, he lowered his head onto the android's chest and listened to the steady buzzing of his Thirium pump.  
"I love you, tin can," mumbled Gavin, snuggling closer to his boyfriend.  
"I love you too, meat sack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	18. Crossover: DE x TLOU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one goes along with a BIG WARNING! This chapter is NOT for people under 18. This is angst, sadness, and hurt WITHOUT comfort. Don’t read it if it’d be too much to handle for you. Please check the tags before you start reading and decide after checking the tags whether you want to read this.  
> No spoilers for TLOU Part II

Peng.  
The sound of Gavin's pistol was deafeningly loud. Immediately, the typical clicking and screeching sounded, and even before the dead Clicker reached the floor, Gavin pulled back behind the wall he had peered out to open fire.   
"I counted two more Clickers and five Runners," he whispered to Nines, who stood next to him.   
The android handed him a Molotov cocktail, which Gavin ignited with a diabolical grin and threw directly into the group of Runners which had approached their hiding place at a fast pace. Screaming, they all went up in flames and the unmistakable smell of burnt flesh filled the room. 27 years after the outbreak of the Cordyceps virus, Gavin was immune to the stench. Confused by the sounds, the Clickers stumbled around. Gavin scurried into the room and approached the first of the remaining creatures. Carefully he crept up, pulled his knife out of its sheath and rammed it into the Clicker's throat. Warm blood flowed over Gavin's hand before the Clicker fall to the ground with a gurgling sound, twitched and finally died. Gavin immediately took cover again and looked around, but the danger was averted. Nines had also killed the other Clicker.   
"That's it."  
Grinning, Gavin stuck up a thumb. Nines returned the gesture laughing, but immediately his face changed, because behind Gavin a loud screaming sounded. Immediately, he spun around while he already pulled his pistol out of the holster. The adrenaline pulsed through his veins as he tried to aim as accurately as possible. One bullet after another found its way into the bodies of the infected, but there were too many. They ran towards the room where Gavin and Nines were. They had searched the building, where did they all come from?

Click.  
The sound of the empty magazine rang loudly through Gavin's ears. Carelessly, he dropped the gun and reached for the rifle. Intuitively, he kept shooting as he slowly backed away from the door. The infected had reached the door and were entering into the room. Five Runners and at least five others were already lying on the floor. Gavin fired, but the rifle was ripped from his hand and he was surrounded by enemies. As he tried to keep the infected away, he heard Nines shooting. More infected fell until there was only one left in front of Gavin. With one hand he held back the Runner, who with his superhuman strength and flailing arms tried to strike at Gavin and overpower him. With the other hand, Gavin felt for his knife. When he had grasped it, the infected immediately knocked it out of his hand, and it fell clattering to the ground. Defenseless, Gavin now tried to use both hands to escape the creature. Gavin's arms hurt and his strength faded, he wouldn’t be able to keep the Runner off his neck for long. A bullet whizzed past his ear by a hair's breadth, tearing up the infected man's face. As the bullet struck, the blood sprayed into Gavin’s face. This last Runner also finally fell dead to the ground. Nines began searching the dead and packing useful items into his backpack. Exhausted, Gavin leaned against the wall and tried to wipe the blood from his face with the sleeve of his shirt. With trembling hands, he once ran his fingers through his hair. That was close, too close. In the future they had to be even more careful when facing infected people, they had to search the area even more thoroughly. Sighing, Gavin looked at his bloodstained hands and torn sleeve. His torn sleeve? When did this happen? Gavin was sure everything had been fine when he put his clothes on this morning. Skeptically, he looked at the sleeve, it was hard to see anything through all that blood. It ... it was his blood, too. He was hurt. Panic rose in him as he ripped the shirt off his body to see the arm ... which now had a wound on it. Shaped like a semicircle with irregular punctures. A bite. Gavin had been bitten. 

With eyes wide open he looked at the injury and felt nothing. There was only emptiness in him.  
"No," Nines whispered.   
He had checked everything and had stepped next to Gavin, who was still standing topless in the middle of the dilapidated house. Horrified, Nines looked on the injury of his boyfriend. One scan later he knew with 100% certainty that Gavin had been infected. The Runner's blood and saliva had entered Gavin's bloodstream and the virus was spreading, making its way to his brain. Gavin would disappear and the Cordyceps fungus would take his place, turning him into a Runner, then a Stalker ... Nines couldn’t carry the thought forward. He'd lose Gavin. His worst fear would come true. Gavin would die.

"How long?" Gavin asked quietly.  
Nines wrapped his arms around Gavin's body from behind and pulled him towards him. It couldn't have been true. Nines squinted his eyes together in the hope that it was just a bad dream, even if he wasn't dreaming as an android.  
"Nines. How long? How much time do I have left?"  
Silently, Nines sighed and let his head hang desperately.  
"According to my calculations, in twelve hours the first symptoms will appear and after 24 hours you will slowly lose control of your body. After 48 hours you will have lost control completely and become a Runner. “  
Gavin nodded and broke away from Nines. He put the ripped and bloodied shirt back on and started to collect his weapons before he went back into the stairwell to leave the house. Nines followed him only slowly, paralyzed. Gavin went back into the house they had been living in for several weeks. Nines followed at some distance. They didn’t speak a word. 

Their shelter was an hour walk away in a former suburb. It was surprisingly well intact. It had been difficult to get in because it was well protected. Bars on the windows, doors locked from the inside. Eventually, they managed to get in. Inside it smelled musty, since no window had been open for years. They had found a generator which was a good compensation. So, they could heat water to wash themselves, had light and could even cook something if they found enough gasoline. Gavin opened the front door and just left it open. He threw his backpack into the corner and kicked angrily against the wall. Nines reached for his hand and squeezed it gently.  
"We'll work something out, Gav."  
Gavin looked at him scornfully, but then sighed. He didn't want to make the situation for Nines any worse than it already was.  
"I'm gonna go wash off that shit," Gavin mumbled.  
"Can I ... can I help you?" Nines asked hesitantly.  
Gavin looked at his boyfriend expressionlessly for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and nodding. While Nines turned on the generator and heated water, Gavin started to undress. He kicked the heavy shoes off his feet and then took the shirt off again. Nines stood in the doorway and watched Gavin. He heard the cracking of his joints, the dull groaning in pain. He saw the play of Gavin's muscles with every movement, saw the bruises, the scrapes, the scars on Gavin's skin. His whole body was covered in it. In the 27 years since the virus broke out in 2013, Gavin had been involved in countless fights, not only with infected people. Just a few days ago, they had encountered another group of bandits. It was a hard battle. Gavin could barely walk because of the pain and exhaustion afterwards. 

Gavin removed his gun belt, which contained a pistol and his knife. He also loosened the second holster on his right thigh before opening the belt which held his dark green cargo pants on his narrow hips. Nines went back into the kitchen to take the big bucket of water from the stove. He poured the warm water into the bathtub, which was in the bathroom, and Gavin sat down in it. Nines took a sponge and knelt down next to the tub. He dipped the sponge in and gently ran it over Gavin's chest, his shoulders, his back ... his arms. Gavin tenderly put his hand on Nine's cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the tears running down the android's face. Nines leaned into the touch.

"I'll be in the living room if you need me," the android muttered as he finished, leaving the bathroom.  
Gavin rose from the red water and reached for a towel to dry himself. He bandaged the bite afterwards and then put on fresh clothes. In the bedroom of the house he had found clothes which fit him. For a moment he let himself sink onto the bed and let his head fall into his hands. He was exhausted, but calm. His thoughts flowed in an orderly fashion, he didn’t try desperately to find another way out of this misery. Gavin knew that there were only two options for him and one of them he didn’t even consider. Determined, he stood up again, put his weapons back on and then went to Nines in the living room with the pistol already in his hand. The android sat on the couch, his face buried in his hands. He had taken the same position as Gavin a few moments ago. He sat down next to Nines and put the pistol on the table.  
"Don't ask me to do that," the android whispered.  
The words hardly came out of his mouth because of his tears.  
"Nin-"  
"No, Gavin!" Nines interrupted and stood up. "I can't do this."  
He paced restlessly. Gavin realized that Nines was far too agitated at the moment. He had a few hours before the Cordyceps fungus took control of his brain. So, Gavin dropped the subject and went to the kitchen to make himself something to eat. The gun was still on the table in the living room.

The following hours passed like fog. While Gavin was just waiting for a suitable moment to restart the conversation with Nines, the android was restless. At night they lay cuddled together in bed, neither of them found sleep. Again and again they exchanged tender touches and kisses. Gavin enjoyed being so close to Nines one last time before his life would end. Peacefully, he listened to the monotonous hum of Nines' Thirium pump. He thought about their time together. How they had met almost two years ago, both alone, both looking for someone they could trust. Back then they had different destinations and were forced to work together to achieve them. They had hated each other and hadn’t only once lured infected people with their screams. While Gavin was on his way to Jacksonville, which was supposed to be a safe town, Nines at some point had abandoned his own plan to accompany Gavin. Soon romantic feelings had developed in both of them, and they were happy to have this kind of relationship. Gavin hadn’t expected to fall in love again. Nines hadn't even known that he was even capable of developing these feelings. In Jackson they could have had a good life, but on the run from infected people and Hunters they had to hide to not endanger the town and then they eventually ended up in this house.

The morning dawned and the sun began to shine into the room. The light made Gavin's eyes hurt and made his headache, which had started in the middle of the night, even worse. It was time. He couldn't wait much longer. The twelve hours were up, and Gavin wanted to maintain some dignity and control over himself.  
"Nines, we can't wait any longer. “  
"I'm not gonna shoot you," Nines immediately got up.   
With arms crossed he stood in front of the bed and looked at Gavin angrily. Gavin sat up and sighed.   
"How can you even ask me that? How can you think I could just shoot you like that?"  
"I'm not telling you to just shoot me. I know it’s hard, but I don’t want to turn into one of those things. You can’t seriously want that. I want you to remember me as I am now. Not as an infected trying to kill you, and we both know Runners are fucking dangerous."  
"I never should have let you come in the first place. I'm immune. I should have gone off by myself to look for supplies."  
"Nines, this is complete bullshit. You may not be able to get the virus, but that doesn't mean you're invincible. You can get hurt. And then what? Where are you gonna get spare parts and Thirium to fix you? Oh, yeah, right. These things are no longer available because CyberLife ceased operation twenty years ago. There are no more spare parts. You are as much at risk as I am. You think I want you wandering around alone, shutting yourself down in some godforsaken building, while I sit here with no idea where you are?“  
Gavin also stood up and faced Nines.   
"Don't do this to me, Gav. I love you and I can't lose you."  
"You'll lose me one way or another, Nines," whispered Gavin softly. "Isn't it better to have it in hand than to be forced to kill the runner I've turned into, then?"  
"Maybe it won't break out at all?"  
"Nines, be realistic. I already have a terrible headache, and I notice that there isn’t enough space in my skull for what is developing. I wouldn't have started this talk again if it wasn't necessary. Nines, please, I don't want to lose control and hurt you."  
"What am I going to do without you?" sobbed Nines.  
"You can do whatever you want. Go to Jackson like we were supposed to. You can live a halfway normal life, without the constant fighting, without the fear, without the hiding. You'd be safe. Wouldn't that be a life worth going on for?“  
"Without you, there is no life worth living."  
"But I can't be with you. If I don't die right here and now, I'll turn into a Runner, and at the latest then you'll have to kill me to save yourself.“  
"Maybe I don't want to."  
"I'm not worth throwing your life away, I want you to live. This is my last wish."  
"Gavin, please don't.  
"Let's get it over with."  
"No! I won’t kill you."  
"Then I'll do it myself," Gavin cried and reached for one of his guns.  
Nines tore it from his hand and left the bedroom without another word. He walked down the stairs to the kitchen. He wanted to distract himself and make Gavin something to eat, but instead of putting the gun down, his fingers started to disassemble it. With horror he looked at the empty magazine.  
Peng.  
The shot echoed so loudly through the house that Nines thought his eardrums would have burst if he had been human. Nines spun around, looked up the stairs and froze for a second. Then, he ran back upstairs to the bedroom as fast as he could. The sight made him freeze in motion again. Gavin lay on the floor, his gun in his hand. A red stain spread further and further across his white shirt and underneath him.   
"No," Nines whispered.  
Gavin looked at him and tears ran down his face in pain.  
"No. Gavin. No," Nines cried, he screamed.  
The android rushed to Gavin’s side and pressed his head against the plastic chest. The android's tears dripped onto Gavin's hair.   
"N ... Nines," Gavin whispered with the greatest effort. "I ... I ... love you."  
"I love you too," the android sobbed.  
Gavin raised his head to look at Nines and clumsily reached out a hand. Nines pressed it against his cheek.  
"Go to ... Jackson. Be ...happy."  
A last smile lit up Gavin's features, made his eyes shine, then his gaze broke, and his body went limp.   
Nines cried, pressed his lover to himself, buried his face in his curly hair. The android cried and cried, lost all sense of time. Hours or even days could have passed before Nines found the strength to lift Gavin onto his arms and go outside to bury him. With the blood of his soul mate on his hands, Nines began to dig. Carefully, he laid Gavin in the grave, breathed another kiss on his pale forehead and shoveled the grave shut again.   
"Rest in peace, love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're okay. I'd love to see you in the comments <3
> 
> See you tomorrow :)


	19. #Bodyswap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote something soft for you after the big angsty story yesterday

"Okay, one day, right?" Gavin asked, just to be sure.  
"Yeah, see, it's all set here," the CyberLife employee replied.  
Gavin and Nines swapped glances and then stepped hand in hand into the big machine in front of them. The employee closed the door and started the process. CyberLife had invented something new. A device that allowed you to slip into another body for a limited time before it returned to normal on its own. It only worked when there was physical contact and the process took quite a while. So, you couldn't just slip into a random body.

With a loud rumbling the machine started to work and immediately Gavin got a stabbing headache, worse than he had ever experienced. With a pain-distorted face he looked at Nines, whose LED was red. He too looked anything but uncomfortable. Gavin gritted his teeth and tried to fade out the pain by calm breathing and distraction, but he didn't have much success. 

After five minutes of agony it was over, and when Gavin opened his eyes again, he could hardly process all the new information. Astonished and with eyes wide open, he looked around. Nines' HUD immediately provided him with all kinds of information. His general system status, temperature, humidity and so on. It was astonishing, he could get used to it. He scanned the employee, who looked at him expectantly, and received all available information. That was so cool. He grinned at Nines, who was in Gavin's body. It was weirder than he thought it'd seeing himself. After all, Gavin saw himself in front of the mirror every day, but it was a strange feeling not to have control over his body. It felt as if body and mind were separate, which was actually the case. He felt something like emptiness and longed back into his body. But what he could get used to was the size of Nines' body. Although, he still felt a bit awkward and stretched out with the extra centimeters, but the fact of being taller than Nines compensated him sufficiently. 

They both smiled at each other before they went to their apartment. Nines made Gavin something to eat as usual, and Gavin couldn't help but watch his body. He found the sight distinctly ... pleasant. Confused about his own feelings, Gavin frowned. He felt no self-affirmation, no pride in the way he looked, it was more an attraction to his own body. A bittersweet longing, but at the same time an incredibly warm feeling flowed through him. He couldn't have a crush on himself ... unless ... these were Nines' feelings. Gavin explored the feeling further and more and more facets opened up to him.  
"Nines," Gavin said softly in the voice of the android. "I feel ... things."  
Nines turned around, worried.  
"What kind of things? Is everything alright?"  
"I'm attracted to myself. But not to my body, more on an emotional level. I take things that my body makes unconsciously, and I feel the need to help and protect you. I ... I'm so full of ... love. Is that what you feel when you look at me?" Gavin asked quietly.  
"Yes," replied the android, looking honestly at Gavin with green eyes.  
Gavin became emotional as he became more and more filled with this feeling inside him.  
"Do you feel things that you normally don't feel?"  
"I do," the android sighed. "Most of all, I sense something very similar to what you described. It is beautiful and warm and makes me happy, but at the same time I feel such a strong doubt that I don't know which feeling would win this fight. To know that it is your doubts about yourself makes me sad. I see only good in you, and you still think that you don’t deserve my love. That you're not worthy of being loved. It just hurts, but I understand you much better now. I can understand why you act the way you do."  
"That's right. I understand you better too. Maybe this experiment isn't just a funny thing to try, but a real help to us to move forward."  
"That's what I think," Nines replied with a smile.   
Gavin overcame the few steps that separated them and embraced Nines in his arms.   
"I love you so much," he whispered into his ear and had to bend down a little for the first time.  
"I love you too, Gavin," the answer came immediately, and lips touched his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	20. Vampire AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sad that I don't have time to write more fluff, so I just can you offer this little chapter. I love the idea of Nines caring and spoiling Gavin after he drank his blood to make sure he stays healthy. It makes me soft.

Nines lived with his partner Gavin on the large estate which had belonged to his family for centuries. They had lived there alone for several years and were completely undisturbed. A butler regularly brought them everything they needed so that they didn’t even have to set foot in the village. Nines came out of the extensive garden and found Gavin in the library. His lover was lost in the book he was reading. Nines looked at him for a moment while he leaned against the door frame. The curly hair, the hazel eyes which had focused on the book in his lap, the full lips, the slight shadow of a beard, his neck with the bruises and bite marks. Alone at the sight, Nines' fangs began to grow, and he longed for the blood of his beloved. In all the years he had walked this earth, he had never met a person who beguiled him as much as Gavin did. He had never longed for anyone this much. Gavin's closeness was a constant challenge to Nines' self-control and discipline. However, the vampire couldn’t imagine life without Gavin. He would never love anyone else ever again, he didn't want to love anyone else.

With a loving look Nines stepped up to his beloved and attracted Gavin's attention. Immediately, the human's face became soft when he spotted the vampire. Just to see that expression in Gavin's eyes, Nines would set the world on fire. When he was next to Gavin, Nines bent down to give Gavin a kiss on the cheek first.   
"Hi," he murmured, before his lips moved further down and lay directly over the human's pulsating carotid.  
Gavin's breath faltered in joyful anticipation, but instead of biting him and drinking his blood, Nine's merely licked a drop of dried blood from the seductive skin. This one drop alone made his fangs long and sharp. The craving for fresh blood was almost uncontrollable, especially since Nines knew what ecstatic feelings it caused in him. A small groan escaped his lips from the imagination, but he withdrew again. Gavin looked at him reproachfully.  
"Don't look at me like that, love, you know very well you wouldn't be able to take another bite," Nines said tenderly.  
"Then don't get my hopes up," Gavin replied reproachfully, for whom a bite was like a drug, as it released endless endorphins in his body.  
"Don’t be so needy," Nines teased.   
Gavin mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.  
"Oh, come on. Don't be mad at me. I'll make you something to eat and then we can take a bath together," Nines offered.  
He loved to spoil and take care of Gavin as much as he loved to drink his blood. Finally, Gavin let himself be softened, put the book away and stood up. He had barely walked a few steps when Nines grabbed him and lifted him onto his arms. Laughing, Gavin wrapped his arms around Nines neck and gave him a gentle kiss before they headed to the kitchen. On the way they shared some affectionate kisses and words. Gavin was clingy and couldn’t stop to whisper in Nines’ ear how much he loved him. Nines’ was smiling and enjoyed every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	21. #MutualPining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is here for mutal pining with the hella insecurities of the boys?

They were undercover. At a fund-raiser. Gavin and Nines weren't there as partners. To draw less attention, they came separately. They both posed as the bachelors they were. That way, they could both look around independently. 

Gavin's taxi stopped in front of the city hall where the gala was being held. He checked his appearance one last time, straightened his tie and then got out of the vehicle. While he was buttoning his jacket, photographers were already starting to take pictures of him. He walked resolutely towards the entrance, showed his invitation and went up the few steps into the huge foyer where the party was already taking place. Gavin immediately spotted his partner. Nines was already talking to a group of high-ranking chairmen of the city council. The android wore a light blue jacket, which made his eyes shine even more. He wore a white button-down and a light blue tie. His long legs were in dark blue trousers. Gavin could barely avert his gaze. Once more, he realized how much he was in love with his partner. Once more, he realized how perfect the android was. Gavin would never get close to him, would never be good enough, would never impress Nines. Apart from the fact that Nines would never be interested in him anyway, the android deserved better than an asshole like Gavin. Suddenly, it was too painful to look at his partner and he turned away to start his real work. This evening made it only harder for Gavin to suppress his feelings. Nines looked outrageously good, but that was just another plus. Much more than his appearance, Gavin was impressed by the android's character. Of course, Nines was arrogant and never stopped telling Gavin that he was the best android ever, but somehow it was justified. Nines was a good cop who could keep up with Gavin's ambition. That's why they were such a good team. Plus, Nines was always there when Gavin needed him. He could rely on the android. That was the main reason why Gavin had started to develop feelings for Nines. However, he would have to cope with the fact that they wouldn't be reciprocated.

While Gavin headed for the bar and was immediately involved in conversations, Nines now also noticed that Gavin had arrived. The android only saw him out of the corner of his eye at first, but he would recognize Gavin everywhere. Even in this grey suit he wore today. Nines saw his partner’s back, but that was enough to arouse Nines’ feelings, which he usually buried so deeply in himself. His admiration for Gavin had developed quickly, but at some point, it was more than that, more than just an appreciation of Gavin's professional skills. They had begun to spend more and more time together outside the precinct. Only to continue working, but still they had got to know each other better. Nines could not help but worry about Gavin and want to protect him.   
Gavin had joined another group so that Nines could see his partner from the front. The grey suit fit like a glove. Nines recognized an also gray vest and tie and a white shirt. The android had never seen Gavin look so chic, but he liked it. He also found Gavin handsome in a leather jacket, but that evening he was especially attractive. However, Nines was reminded that he was not sexually attracted to Gavin, but only found him aesthetically pleasing. Apart from that, anatomically he wasn't even capable of satisfying Gavin's needs. His admiration was stopped by the unwelcome thoughts, and Nines let his shoulders hang for a moment. At that moment their eyes met, and Gavin pulled his eyebrows together worried.   
"You okay?" he silently pursed his lips.  
Nines gave him a faint smile and nodded. He enjoyed the feeling that the sight of Gavin and his concern triggered in him. His love only grew stronger. However, he would have to cope with the fact that it wouldn’t be reciprocated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	22. Pacific Rim AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this chapter. I don't know the movie and I didn't have time to watch it so this was really hard to write. I hope it's not complete bullshit and you kinda like it anyway.

Gavin looked with horror at the army of androids heading for the beach. As far as he knew, they had come out of a portal in the middle of the Pacific, and now these alien creatures were about to destroy Earth. Gavin already knew that a defense program was in work, but until then, human soldiers had to make sure that there was something left that needed saving once the program was ready. His comrades and Gavin began firing as soon as the androids were in range.

After seemingly endless hours, Gavin arrived at his home covered in blood and dirt. Every muscle ached and he just wanted to fall into his bed. However, fate had other plans for him. Gavin realized this as soon as he saw the door being forced open. He immediately drew his gun and opened the door silently. All the rooms were untouched, except for the bathroom. There was light and sound coming through the half-open door. Gavin took cover and tried to make out something. He simply moved closer and recognized a person standing with his back to him. Gavin pushed the door open energetically.  
"Don't move or I'll blow your head off," he growled.  
The intruder froze. It was a man, tall, slim, dark hair. That's all Gavin could make out. Slowly, the stranger turned around, and Gavin recognized the red LED on his temple.  
"You're one of them," he called out in horror and was about to pull the trigger.  
"Please, don't shoot. I don't want to hurt you. I'm not one of them. I escaped."  
For a brief moment, Gavin considered shooting anyway, but there was so much honesty and sincerity in the android's voice that he eventually lowered his gun. Now he realized why the android was standing in his bathroom.   
"You're hurt."  
A strange, blue fluid ran from the wound on the android's shoulder.  
"Sit down, I'll take care of it," Gavin said.   
They went into the kitchen and while Gavin was taking care of the android, he told them that he had deserted because he didn't want to attack Earth, that he had broken his actual programming and now had free will. Gavin couldn't imagine always following a predetermined path, not being able to make his own decisions. He received orders as a soldier, but that was not comparable. He could at least freely arrange his life outside the army.  
They talked for a long time and finally Gavin offered that the android could stay with him to hide until the situation had calmed down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	23. #FakeDate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved this chapter. So cute and lovely. Made me all soft *-*

"Gavin, you can't work all the time. You're in your prime. Why don't you go out with someone?"  
"Mom, can you please stop trying to convince me how lonely I am. I'm happy and content," Gavin whined annoyingly.  
His mother, of course, was not listening.  
"However, since you and Jack broke up, all you've done is working. He was actually such a nice boy.”  
"Yes, exactly. Until he cheated on me," Gavin replied grimly.  
He didn't want to think about his asshole of an ex.  
"You can't find anyone new if you don't look around," his mother simply ignored his last statement. "Or did you meet someone at work?"  
"No, Mom. Can we please change the subject now?"  
"Oh, boy. I just want to know you're in good hands. You can't spend your life alone because you got hurt once."  
If you only knew, Gavin just thought  
He just didn't have a good hand at picking partners.  
"Now do not punish me with your silence. You can't be happy alone."  
Desperately, Gavin facepalmed himself. His mother kept bringing up this subject whenever she was on the phone with her son. Gavin had even considered arranging a fake date with someone, but all the people who could be considered for it were already known to his mother. Tina had agreed to do it, but Gavin's mother knew that Tina was a lesbian and already engaged to Valerie. Chris also knew her already and that was it with his friends. Unless ... Gavin sat up. Of all the people Gavin knew, he wanted to go on a fake date with Nines. The only problem was that Gavin didn't just want to have a fake date with Nines, he really wanted to get closer to the android, but he also knew that it was hopeless, and Nines wasn't interested in him. Still, Gavin was able to kill two birds with one stone. He got his mother off his back, and he could convince himself that it was an actual date he had with his partner. 

"Mom, listen. I won't die alone. I will meet someone again, but it won't help me if you keep telling me that and rubbing it in my face. I'm capable of handling it myself. Now I'm afraid I have to hang up because I still have to work."  
"What? At this hour? Gavin, it's past nine. You really are working too hard."  
"But I don't have a date right now, so you can leave me alone to work. I'll call you in the next few days.“  
They said goodbye and Gavin put his phone on the table with a sigh before he picked up his tablet and continued his work. 

When Gavin came to the station the next morning as usual, a steaming cup of coffee was already waiting on his desk. Gavin thanked God or whoever was watching over him that Nines was his partner. After hanging his leather jacket over his chair, he took a big sip and closed his eyes, enjoying it, before looking around for Nines. The android sat with his back to Gavin on Connor's desk and talked to him. Connor spotted Gavin and made Nines aware of him. Thereupon his partner turned to Gavin and said goodbye to Connor.  
"Good morning, Gavin," Nines said.  
"Hey, tin can. Another case?"  
"No, just paperwork today. “  
"Great, then we can finish early," Gavin replied.  
Nines nodded, although he looked at Gavin thoughtfully. It was atypical for Gavin to enjoy an early night out.  
"Hey, Nines, you uhm got any plans for tonight?" Gavin asked sheepish.  
"Nothing that can't be rescheduled. Is there a problem? Do you need my help?", Nines asked immediately concerned.  
"Kinda. My mother is desperate for me to get together with someone. She's always bugging me about it, and she won't give it a rest. Would you ... Would you go out to dinner with me tonight and pretend to be my date just to please her? That is, if you don't mind, of course. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. “  
"Don't worry, Gavin. I'm happy to help. That's what a partner is for," Nines replied smiling.  
Gavin returned the smile with relief.

After work they both went home to get ready before Gavin was at Nines' door at seven to pick up the android. Nervously, he looked down at himself, checked if his clothes were okay. His black jeans were clean, as was the white button-down he was wearing. From his leather jacket he had taken out the hood so that everything would fit. All in one, he was quite happy with his outfit. So, he could be seen. His mother would be proud of Gavin. Only he couldn't control his curls anymore. 

Gavin rang the bell and immediately the door opened, had its advantages of not having to walk to the intercom when you could open the door with a simple blink of the eye. Quickly, Gavin entered the house and walked up the stairs. Nines lived on the first floor. Just as Gavin stood in front of the apartment door, Nines came outside. The android wore black jeans and a black button-down as usual, but the top buttons were open today. In addition, he wore his white leather jacket also as usual. He looked incredibly handsome.  
Gavin cleared his throat.  
"You, uh, look good," he said.  
"You too," Nines replied smiling. "Shall we?"  
Gavin indicated to him to go first with a hand movement.

The drive was silent. Gavin was nervous and tried to act as normal as possible so the android wouldn’t suspect anything and scan him.  
Arriving at the restaurant, they ordered. Nines a glass of Thirium, Gavin a Coke and a pasta dish. When they got their drinks, they toasted and Gavin suddenly didn't feel stupid anymore. The tension inside him had gone and he was just happy to spend time with Nines outside of work.  
"Can we take a picture that I send to my mom?" Gavin asked.  
"Yeah, sure," Nines replied and with a bright smile he turned to Gavin's phone camera.  
Gavin had to laugh himself and a moment later a nice picture was taken.  
"Why is your mother so keen on you having a date?" Nines asked. "If you don't mind the question."  
"Oh, she really means well," Gavin said. "My ex cheated on me, and I haven't been on a date since then. She's just worried that I work too much and that I'm lonely and unhappy."  
"Sounds nice," Nines said carefully.  
"Yes, I know she doesn't do it to annoy me, but I'm in my early thirties, I can take care of my love life myself. It's been a while since we broke up, but... well, it's complicated. I don't want to bore you."  
Nines raised an eyebrow and snorted contemptuously.  
"Gavin, you never bore me. Especially not when you have a problem or you want to talk about something."  
Gavin looked at his partner for a moment and hesitated, but then explained anyway.  
"Jack was not the first to disappoint and hurt me. It started early. When I was a kid, my father left us to run away with his affair. I felt betrayed and ended up on the wrong side of the law. Everything is rougher there, even relationships. When I got my life back under control and started working for the DPD, it didn't necessarily get any better. As good a detective as I might be, I'm blind when it comes to partners. I always end up with the assholes who don't give a shit about me. When I met Jack, I thought I finally hit the jackpot, thought I was finally with the right guy. I could have grown old with him, but he was just another dick. It doesn't make it any easier to get into someone new. I don't even want to meet anybody new. I'd rather work with Tina and Chris ... and you. I can count on you guys no matter what. That's more valuable to me than any relationship that ends up just being a shot in the dark anyway.“  
"I'm sorry about that," Nines said softly. "You deserve better."  
Seriously and honestly, the android looked Gavin in the eyes.  
"Nah, I think I’m only attached to assholes because I am one myself."  
Laughing helplessly, Gavin shrugged to cover up his vulnerability.  
"You think too little of yourself. You're a good man and an excellent cop. Just that you have found the strength to change the path you took and go to the DPD is remarkable. It's only understandable that you keep people at a distance and don't want to let anyone get close to you. Now I understand why you were so rejecting to me at the beginning. You just haven't had much luck in life.“  
In one thing, however, Gavin was very lucky He had the best partner in the world. With Nines, everything was always so simple. The android didn't judge, he just listened. He was just there to help Gavin in any way he could. Gavin didn't say anything because he didn't know what to answer. Nines was truly the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Afterwards, they talked about more pleasant topics and had a lot of fun together. Gavin hadn't laughed as much all in the months since the broke up as he had that evening. When they were done, Gavin paid and they left the restaurant.  
"Are you tired or do you feel like taking a walk?", Nines asked. "According to the map of Detroit, there's a small park nearby."  
His LED flickered yellow briefly while he retrieved the information.  
"Sure, why not?"

In silence they went for a walk. It was dark and only a few lanterns lit up the park. It was peaceful. Gavin was happy, he just enjoyed the moment. No negative thoughts which reminded him of his past. Just Nines and Gavin, an android and a human, in a park at night. No past, no future, just the here and now.  
"Shall we take another picture?" Nines asked quietly.  
His quiet, deep voice only made Gavin feel even more comfortable. Smiling, he opened the camera and held the phone away from him. Nines stood close beside him. On the display Gavin saw Nines approaching him and in the next moment, the android's soft lips lay on Gavin's cheek. Gavin couldn't help but blush slightly and grin like an idiot after he had overcome the first surprise. No sooner had he taken the photo than Nines withdrew embarrassed.  
"I apologize if I crossed a line. I just thought ..."  
The android didn’t finish his sentence, he had lowered his gaze. At that moment Gavin could no longer suppress his feelings. He stepped directly in front of Nines and their eyes met. Gavin stretched and raised his chin. Nines came slowly towards him and finally their lips met. With a sigh Gavin closed his eyes. Nines gently put a hand on Gavin's neck as if he feared Gavin would stop the kiss immediately. He didn't think of that at all, though. Instead, he placed his hands on Nines' hips and pulled the android even closer. 

After some time, which felt like hours, the two separated again. Foreheads pressed together. Gavin, however, could no longer deny that he was getting cold. Nines noticed it, of course.  
"We should go back," the android muttered.  
With a heavy heart Gavin nodded. Right after they had parted from each other, Nines gently put an arm around Gavin's shoulders and an unusual warmth emanated from him. Astonished, Gavin looked at his partner until he realized that the android was raising his operating temperature to keep Gavin warm. Happily, Gavin snuggled more into the android’s touch as they walked to his car. 

Arriving at Nines' apartment, they said goodbye to each other.  
"You should invite me on a fake date again," Nines suggested with a grin.  
"Prick", Gavin replied with a laugh, but leaned over to Nines to kiss him goodbye.  
"Drive carefully," Nines mumbled at Gavin's lips.  
Then, he got out of the car, and after he stepped through the front door, Gavin drove home. With the biggest grin ever.

Gavin  
I'm home.

Nines  
Sleep tight.

Gavin  
See you tomorrow ;)

Nines  
See you tomorrow :)

It sounded like a sweet promise and Gavin let himself fall into bed overjoyed. His mother wouldn’t get over it as soon as she hears the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	24. Alternate Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NO ANGST TODAY HERE. I'm feeling as if I'm the only one who doesn't do anything angsty and sad af. If you're looking for some fluff, you're on the right way. However, don't be too happy. Whump prompt is near.

“Hey, Nines,” Gavin hesitantly began. “We don’t know where Ada is or what she’s gonna do next ... So we just ... Just really need you back. You know?”  
Gavin looked at Nines, but the android's face remained motionless. Gavin sighed.   
"To stop them," Gavin added.   
Tina knocked on the glass. She stood in front of the observation room. Gavin had no idea if she could hear him or just knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't come out with his feelings right away. She probably knew Gavin too well. After all, they'd known each other forever.   
“Okay,” said Gavin, more to himself than to Nines. “Okay, tin can. I need you,” I began forcefully. “I need you to come back, Nines.”  
For a moment Gavin was silent and memories shot through his head.   
“I was ... the absolute goddamn worst to you when we met,” he confessed, with a little smile as I looked at him. “Chris and Tina took bets on how long it’d take for us to kill each other. But ... you ... you stuck through it. You gave me as much shit as I gave you. And eventually I stopped doing it to piss you off and did it, I did it ‘cause … it’s just what we do … You are my partner, you are my best friend. And you are this force in my life that I can’t live without. I don’t wanna go back. I can’t go back … to being without you. No matter what happens, you’ve never given up on me. Come back to me, Nines.“  
The device that measured Nines' cognitive activity suddenly started beeping faster. Excited, Gavin looked at the display and then moved closer to Nines. He watched the face to make sure he didn't miss a movement.   
"Nines"?  
And then the android opened its eyes. He turned towards Gavin so he could see the yellow LED on Nines' temple. Finally, it stopped being red.  
"Gavin?"  
"Oh my God, Nines!"  
With relief, tears came to Gavin's eyes and he squeezed the android's hand firmly.   
"I can't believe you're awake again. How are you? Are you okay?"  
"Yes, Gavin. I am fine," Nines replied with a smile.  
He sat up and looked down at himself in horror. Immediately, the LED turned red. Gavin knew what the problem was. Gently he put one hand on Nines' cheek, forcing the android to look away from his body.  
"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. It's all good. Should I look for your clothes or get a blanket?"  
With big eyes Nines looked at his partner.  
"That might be better. I'm sure you're uncomfortable. “  
Gavin was already on his way to the door, but then he turned around again, confused.  
"What? Why would I be uncomfortable with that? “  
"Because... my physique is different from human’s anatomy," Nines explained quietly.  
"So what? Why should I care? What difference does it make?"  
Nines' LED turned red again before he said, "I guess it doesn't make any difference to you."  
Before Gavin could say anything, his phone vibrated.

Tina  
I'm looking for Ada with Chris.  
Tell him!!!

"I wondered," Gavin, while putting his phone away, "have you actually heard anything I've said?"  
Nines just nodded.  
"Um, like what?"  
"You're the force in my life that I can't be without."  
"I, um...”  
Gavin didn't know what to say. Following a sudden impulse, he put his hands on Nines' neck, pulled the android towards him and put his lips on those of his partner. It was a short, innocent kiss before Gavin separated from Nines again and looked embarrassed at his shoes. He was afraid he had crossed Nines' boundaries again, but the android took his hand and gave him a smile.  
"I, uh, I should go back to the DPD. Tina and Chris are already looking for Ada. I should help them."  
"I need some new clothes before we go," Nines interjected.  
"We? There is no we. You stay here and get better."  
"What should I be recovering from? I'm fine."  
"Yeah, I don’t know, Nines? Maybe from almost dying?" Gavin cried angrily. "You may not give a damn fuck about all that, but I don't want to find you in some alley again and be afraid for hours that you won't wake up at all or maybe you've forgotten everything. You stay here. End of the fucking discussion."  
"You know you need my help, though, and it'll go faster if I go with you."  
"I. Don't. Care! Then, we just need longer! I just want to get to my desk, and then we can figure this out.“  
"At your desk works the colleague from the night shift," Nines recalled and had a confident grin on his lips.  
Speechless, Gavin looked at his partner as he stood up.  
"I hate you," Gavin growled.  
"You love me," Nines replied.  
His grin grew even wider and the way he beamed at Gavin … he just couldn't get mad anymore. When Nines then also breathed a kiss on Gavin's lips, he finally gave up.   
"Will it always be like this in the future?" Gavin asked as they parted. "You force your will on me by bribing me with a smile and a kiss?"  
"I can put you on coffee withdrawal," Nines offered with a grin.  
"Smile and kiss doesn't sound so bad," Gavin relented. "Come on, now. At least work if I have to take you with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	25. #Roommates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short because I'm so exhausted. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway

Tina and Chris had just said goodbye, all the boxes had arrived at Gavin's apartment and now he and Nines would start to unpack the android's stuff. Exhausted, Gavin let himself fall onto the couch. He and Tina had had to carry Nines' piano up the whole six floors because it didn't fit into the elevator.   
"It's been a while since I had a roommate," Gavin said, breathing heavily.  
"Who did you live with? With a partner?" asked Nines.  
Gavin laughed out loud.  
"God, no. No relationship has lasted long enough to move into a shared apartment. No, I lived in a flat share with Tina during the police academy. It was really nice. That's how we met. However, when she met Valerie, she moved out and I moved in here."  
Nines sat on the couch next to Gavin.  
"Did you like having a roommate?" Nines asked.  
"Sure, or I wouldn't have asked you to move in," Gavin replied laughing. "The time with Tina was absolutely awesome! I talked to her about it earlier because we both remembered it."  
Gavin snorted amusedly.   
"We had hella fun. That was a great time."  
"Do you miss it?"  
"The time with Tina? I don't know, we did a lot of shit that I wouldn't do now, we moved on, but sometimes I miss having her around. I mean, you know me. I work so much that I hardly have time for her, and we rarely work cases together since I made detective. However, of course, I'm happy for her that she found happiness with Val. It's generally been great not living alone. That's why I adopted Asshole. So, at least someone would be around."  
"Why didn't you move into an apartment with your former partners?"  
"You know, I've never had a relationship with anyone like I had with you," Gavin replied with an embarrassed smile.  
Nines responded by kissing Gavin's cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	26. Royalty AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's kinda bittersweet. I explain a little more why I like this one at the end

The sun shone through the huge windows which gave a view into the palace garden. Soft kisses landed on Gavin's face and woke the young prince. He sighed with relish and leaned into the touch. A gentle laugh rang out.   
"Good morning," Nines said affectionately.  
"Morning," Gavin mumbled sleepily.  
His eyes were still closed, and he lay his head on Nines' chest.   
"You have to get up, you have an appointment in an hour", Nines reminded.  
Gavin only let out approving Hmm, but made no effort to get up. Still, he couldn't prevent himself from drifting more and more into reality, and the last remains of his dream disappeared. Instead, he realized how much he and Nines were tangled in each other. Their legs were interlocked, and Nines had wrapped his arms around Gavin.  
"You know you'll get in trouble if you're late."  
"I can handle that. It's worth it if I can lie here with you a little longer," Gavin replied.  
"But I'll get in trouble, too."  
That woke Gavin up for good.  
"Is it worth it too?" Nines asked in a low voice.  
"Of course not, love," Gavin replied.  
He opened his eyes and leaned on one elbow to look at Nines. The dark brown straight hair was tousled, his blue eyes tired. They had talked too long again. Gavin enjoyed talking to Nines. He was the only person in that goddamn palace he could talk to without wanting to punch the other person’s face. They were all so hypocritical, just saying what they thought Gavin wanted to hear. Worst of all were potential wives who wanted to impress Gavin at any cost. And Gavin only wanted one person by his side. This special person he couldn't marry for a number of reasons. Of course, Gavin's partner had to be a woman to ensure the continued existence of the kingdom. Nines was a man and his servant. If anyone found out that they loved each other, Nines would immediately lose his job and Gavin's parents would make sure that he’d never fine another job in his whole life. They were masters at discrediting others. 

Sighing, Gavin sadly brushed a strand of hair from Nines' forehead.  
"What's my appointment?"  
"The princess from California introduces herself."  
Gavin lowered his head onto Nines' shoulder.  
"From California? Damn it. California is bigger than Michigan, so a wedding would be good for our kingdom. I don't know how much longer I can keep stalling my parents. Soon, I won't have a choice. You'll have to sit around all day again watching me meet a potential wife. And all I want is you."  
"Once you are king, you can change the laws. But until then, you need a wife."  
"I know, love. I just wish it were different."  
Gavin kissed Nines gently before he finally got up.  
"What would you like to wear?" Nines asked while Gavin was on his way to the bathroom.  
"I don't care. Take your pick."

A little later Nines helped his master and lover to dress up. Again and again he spread kisses on Gavin's skin, which he was grateful for.   
"You're done," Nines said way too early.  
Gavin sighed again.  
"Do I get one more kiss before I go to the welcome?" he asked.  
Nines smiled slightly, complied with the request and Gavin wished for nothing more than not to have to leave his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like how Gavin's a little careless about other's living conditions the same way he's in DE. I'm kinda proud about this parallel.  
> Also I like the Merlin references. I really love this series. On one hand, the relationship between Arthur and Merlin, but also Gwen's "I'll wait until you're the king, you'll do better than your father" attitude. It fits very well with this chapter. Before I started writing it, it was just clear: Gavin's the prince, Nines the servant. I like how it turned out while writing.
> 
> See you tomorrow for not one but TWO whump ideas :)


	27. #Whump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know the last chapters were really short. I didn't have much time last week because of three exams, but know I'm done and I thought I could make a little peace offering. So, I wrote two chapters for this prompt. Both about Gavin's insecurities, but with a different outcome. I hope you'll join the insecurity train.

Gavin was sitting in his apartment. A bottle of beer in his hand. He tried desperately to forget. Forget. Forget what had happened. Forget what he had done. Forget what the android had done. Forget that his life was a shamble. Forget how abandoned he felt. Forget. How could he forget when everything he saw reminded him of the android, the android and the sight of the door falling shut behind him?

Apathetically, Gavin stared into space as he remembered. The memory repeated over and over again in his mind. The memory he couldn’t forget, but wanted to so badly. The memory of the fight.   
“Gavin, you passed out today! You need to sleep. At least talk to me. I can’t help you if you lash out. I thought we were past this. I-I thought you trusted me.”  
“Leave me the hell alone and stop scanning me, tin can!” Gavin yelled. 

For the first time in over two years, he wanted to hurt Nines with the nickname. Nines recognized the intention and opened his eyes in horror.   
“What do you care anyway? Why don’t you mind your own business?”  
Nines staggered back a few steps, as if Gavin had beaten him not only verbally, but physically. They had their ups and downs, retreated when self-doubt was too strong, they argued, but they always knew what was going on in the other person. They knew what the other was going through and why they acted that way. Nines had lost that understanding of Gavin. Gavin refused to sleep, he didn’t take care of himself and became reckless in the field. Nines had tried again and again to get through to Gavin and recognize his problem, but in vain. Gavin built more and more walls around him. It was as if the trust that had existed between them had simply disappeared overnight. 

“You know why I care and why I can’t just ignore the fact that you’re feeling miserable,” Nines replied, who couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘I love you’. “I can’t watch you destroy yourself. I can’t bear to end up living alone in this apartment because you were shot out of recklessness!”  
“Then get out if it’s so fucked up with me,” Gavin replied in a threatening voice. “I don’t need your help and I certainly don’t need you!”

And Nines had left. For a while Gavin had been raving and getting more and more upset, but when the anger disappeared, he realized what he had done. He had apologized, had promised to change, but Nines remained determined. Gavin had made the android leave him. Gavin had hurt the android so badly that Nines couldn’t stand to be around Gavin anymore. Gavin had lost the only person he cared about. The person who had made everything bearable. Nines had been like a shield for all the negative things Gavin’s brain produced. Nines just wanted to help him and Gavin had ruined everything. He wasn’t grieving for himself, he was grieving for Nines. Gavin knew that the android loved him. He knew it, but he had behaved so terribly that Nines couldn’t stay, despite all his love, and would not return. And all this only because Gavin didn’t want the android to realize that Gavin’s insomnia didn’t get better despite therapy and medication. He was still suffering from the insomnia and the nightmares. All he wanted was a happy life with Nines. The android didn’t deserve it to have to worry about Gavin all the time. He deserved the best, and that wasn’t Gavin. Gavin was ashamed, his self-doubt had long taken over. Nines had told him again and again how much he loved Gavin, that Gavin was enough for him, that he didn’t want anyone else, but Gavin couldn’t believe it and that had destroyed everything. 

Sobbing, Gavin curled up on his couch. How was he ever going to get over the fact that he had destroyed the only good thing in his life and even worse, how was he ever going to get over the fact that he had hurt Nines? He could not live without the android, he was lost without Nines. He would never trust anyone again so much, he would never love anyone again. Nines was the one and he was gone. 

____________________________________________________________

"I just want to be complete for you," Nines said softly.  
"You’ve been a whole person since the day you woke up. I’ve been lucky if I can scrounge together enough parts of myself to function in the morning," Gavin replied somewhat amused.  
"You're more than enough to me," Nines said affectionately and put one hand on Gavin's cheek.  
Gavin saw the love in Nines' eyes. So many emotions flitted across the android's face. Gavin could lean forward and kiss the android. He could be close to the man he loved. It could be perfect. Could be.   
"Hey, uh, Nines. I have something to tell you," Gavin hesitantly began.   
Immediately, Nines looked at him with concern. He didn't ask right away, didn't push Gavin. Nines waited and let Gavin set the pace. As always. After a few moments of silence, Gavin could finally bring himself to destroy the moment.  
"Hank has arranged for me to go to New York for further training. It's an extra police training. He made me the offer a week ago and I accepted."  
Nines looked confused. He didn't understand why Gavin was so concerned about it. Gavin sighed.  
"It'll take a year. I'm gonna live in New York for a year. I leave the day after tomorrow."  
Horror was instantly in Nines. He couldn't believe that Gavin would disappear. It had taken them that long before they found each other, and now, when they finally reached their goal, they had to separate again.  
"Why did you even agree to this?" Nines wanted to know.  
He couldn't avoid sounding disappointed and hurt.  
"You're a amazing detective. We make a good team. We caught Ada last night and gave her free will. You saved my life. You don't need any training. You want to make sergeant someday, all you gotta do is talk to Fowler. I'm sure he can help you."  
Gavin hesitated.  
"It's less about my career and more about my personality. When Hank told me about this, I had no idea that you... that we were here in this situation. I wanted to use this year to take some time off and work on myself. I wanted to be open with you afterwards about my feelings."  
"You don't have to now. You can cancel it. We have already talked about our feelings", Nines whined desperately.  
"No. I did not accept it to be with you afterwards, but to be worthy of your affection."  
"What? Of course, you're worthy. What is that nonsense?", Nines asked without understanding.  
Gavin laughed cheerlessly.  
"We both know I'm a walking disaster. You deserve better. You deserve someone as loving as you are. Someone who will always take care of you."  
"But, Gavin, you do!" cried Nines, now with tears streaming down his cheeks.  
It broke Gavin's heart to see Nines like that.  
"Weren't you listening to me? I said that you are more than enough to me! I meant it. For God's sake, you saved my life. Who, if not you, should I love? Who, if not you, should I trust? I trust you with my life and my heart without hesitation. No one could be more worthy! For me, you are worthy!"  
Nines cupped Gavin's face.   
"Please, Gavin. Don't go. Please," Nines whispered.  
With a tender smile, Gavin wiped away his partner's tears.  
"I have to earn your love first," Gavin replied softly. "I have to prove to myself that I have earned you."  
Speechless, Nines looked at Gavin. His hands fell down. He couldn't understand how Gavin could think so badly of himself, when all Nines saw in this man was only good. Slowly, he shook his head as if to prevent the words from reaching him. He wanted to escape their meaning. It was too painful to grasp.  
"I ... hate you," Nines whispered desperately.  
Of course, it wasn’t true, but Nines found no other way to deal with his pain. Gavin smiled tormented and reached for Nines' hands.  
"You love me," he replied.

Two days later, Gavin was standing at the airport. He looked for Nines one last time in the waiting room, but the android was nowhere to be found. Tina gave him a sympathetic smile.  
"It's okay," Gavin reassured her. "He'll be all right."  
Then, Gavin said goodbye and left. Tina watched him going.  
"Both of you won’t be all right," she murmured. "You can't get along without each other and you'll never reach your goal. It will only make things worse."  
Anyway, she couldn't stop Gavin. It was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	28. Monster AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the prequel of my Crossover fic. I thought this might be a cute little thing. Tbh, it's not really a monster AU cause TLOU doesn't have any monster, they are just infected, but I hope you consider this as a valid fic for this prompt anyway.

Gavin's lungs burned. Breathing heavily, he rushed around the next corner and looked around. The screams behind him grew louder and louder as the Runners closed the gap more and more. Gavin saw them approaching and ran on. He looked ahead again and was able to brake just in time before he would have run into a wire mesh fence. Hurriedly, Gavin looked around and spotted a door next to him in the alley. He was just about to move to open it when a huge crate slammed down from above and blocked the entrance. Gavin didn't have time to put it away. The first Runners had reached the entrance of the alley. Without thinking, Gavin climbed onto the crate and then over the wire mesh fence. The fence wouldn’t stop the infected, so Gavin ran on. He disappeared around the next corner and stood on a wide street again. 

Hurriedly, he disappeared through the door next to him and took a breath for a moment before sneaking through the gloomy room. The windows were blocked from the inside, so there was barely any light. After Gavin had listened for a moment, he turned on his flashlight and looked around. Dust swirled through the air as Gavin moved. In the flashlight's light, Gavin could see footprints in the dust. They were fresh. Gavin followed the footprints carefully and as silently as possible, taking his shotgun. On the second floor, Gavin heard noises. Someone came up from upstairs to meet him. Gavin took cover in an empty room. His eyes were fixed on the stairs. A short time later, a young man came into his view. Gavin put the shotgun away and pulled his knife out of its sheath instead. As the guy passed him, Gavin scurried out of his hiding place, grabbed him from behind and held the knife to his throat. The guy was taken by surprise and froze immediately.  
"I'm an android, don't worry. I'm not infected," the android shouted, and Gavin noticed the red glowing LED.  
After some hesitation, Gavin let go of the man and took a step back. The android turned around and at the sight of Gavin, his eyes widened.  
"You're the guy from the alley from before," he shouted.  
"Are you the idiot who threw the box out the window?" Gavin asked angrily. "Tell me, are you actually stupid? You can't just throw stuff out without looking if there's someone there."  
"I heard the Runners and I was trying to distract them. I didn't know you were going to run into the alley.  
"Son of a bitch. I could have been dead, you stupid tin can!"  
"Stop yelling," hissed Nines angrily, "or they'll spot us again."  
And indeed, there was screaming from below. The Runners hadn't lost Gavin's scent after all. Startled, the two men looked at each other.  
"Is there another way out?" Gavin whispered.  
"Yes, come on. But it's blocked. I need your help."  
Nines reached for Gavin's hand and pulled him forward in haste. Gavin frowned, but didn’t complain about the handholding. He just wanted to get out of this godforsaken place. After that he could continue with travelling alone, and he didn’t have to see that stupid tin can again. Would be better for his physical wellbeing. 

A little later Gavin and Nines lifted a heavy wooden beam to escape from the infected. The noise attracted the Runners again, but they managed to save themselves in time. However, after this joint escape they didn’t suddenly become friends. They continued to argue and disagreed on everything, but still they could not deny that they were a good team in the fight against infected people. That might be the only reason why they stuck together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	29. #StuckInACloset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Riverdale's first Varchie kiss :D

Tina's bachelorette party. Gavin couldn't believe he let himself be talked into it. He was only here because Tina was his best friend and she had saved his ass way too many times. He was also happy for his friend and was glad that she had found her happiness with Valerie and that the two of them would get married. While Valerie was on the road with her friends and colleagues and moved from one bar to the next, Tina's party took place in their apartment. They all sat together in the living room on the couch and on chairs. Between them a small table, on which a considerable number of bottles had already collected. Gavin and Nines were there, as well as Chris, but Ada was also invited. Since they had met the android, two years had passed. Meanwhile, nobody talked about her crimes anymore, and it was possible for her to lead a normal life again. She had gone into hiding and had kept a low profile. Nines had helped her to find an apartment after a while. From his deviation Nines knew North. He still had sporadic contact with her and had entrusted Ada into North's care. After the revolution, North still helped other androids, also Ada. The two of them had gotten along well right away and a little later they were a couple. So North was also at Tina's bachelorette party. 

Ada rose from North's lap with a grin.  
"How about a spin of the bottle? I learned this game the other day and I think it's fantastic. The two who are chosen disappear into the wardrobe and are allowed to do whatever they want for seven minutes," Ada explained.   
Tina and North laughed and agreed immediately. Nines watched the women amused. Gavin just rolled his eyes, but didn't want to complain. It was Tina's party and he didn’t want to ruin it. North immediately had one of the empty beer bottles in her hand.  
"Here, babe," she said and handed it to Ada, who took it with a grin.  
"Well, let's see who gets into the closet first," she murmured and turned the bottle on the table.  
Nines was the first chosen one and Gavin tried to get a grip on his jealousy. It was only seven minutes the android would spend with someone else and he wouldn't cheat on Gavin, so he tried to suppress his jealousy. Surprisingly, there was no need for this, because when Ada turned the bottle a second time, it pointed at Gavin. Grinning, he stood up and Nines followed him amusedly. 

A little later they were in Tina's closet and Gavin tried to see something in the darkness, but there was no light except Nines' LED.  
"What are we doing in here for seven minutes now?" Nines asked. "Well, I know what you normally do in this situation, but..."  
"Relax," Gavin replied laughing and groped for Nines' hand. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. It's not like there's any guidelines."  
"But the way you looked when the bottle pointed at me, you seemed to have very clear ideas about how it should be done," Nines returned amused.  
"Was it that bad? I tried to hold back," Gavin mumbled sheepishly.  
"Ada noticed it too, so she calculated the turn it would take to make the bottle point at you."  
"That's better for her, though. Who knows what those horny women would have done to you in here?"  
"Gavin," Nines cried in indignation, but he had to laugh too.  
"What's the matter? Will you kiss me now or are we just having a little chat before we go back to the others?"  
"I thought we wouldn't do anything I didn't want to do," Nines countered.  
"We're not, I know you like to be close to me, love," Gavin replied with a grin.  
Instead of answering, Nines cupped Gavin's face and kissed him gently.

Far too quickly voices became audible and with a "Tick tack, time's up" North ripped open the door.  
"Get out, lovebirds. Enough making out, you've had your fun."  
Nines' LED lit up red briefly at the words, and Gavin squeezed the android's hand in consolation. Gavin and Tina were the only people who knew about Nines' sexuality and it would remain this way, because Nines only trusted Gavin enough to talk to him about it.  
"Hey, you good?" Gavin asked quietly.  
Nines looked affectionately at him and nodded.  
"With you by my side, always."  
Nines wrapped an arm around Gavin's shoulders and pressed a kiss on his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow :)


	30. Jane Austen AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really an AU, more and P&P inspired fic. I hope you'll enjoy anyway.

Gavin sat thoughtfully in front of his TV. Why had he watched this film in the first place? Why did so many people still love Pride & Prejudice? The film felt a hundred years old and terribly boring to boot. 

Gavin sighed. Who was he trying to fool? He didn't think the movie sucked. The movie just made Gavin realize how shitty he was. He was so cocky and arrogant to Nines. He was arrogant and pretending to be something better. Actually, Gavin was no better than the people in the movie who were guided by their prejudices. Nines had never given Gavin any reason not to like him. Gavin just couldn't deal with the fact that somebody was standing up to him and not putting up with everything. However, Nines never started their word fights, he only ever reacted to Gavin's insults. And he was quite right to do so. Gavin had been so convinced of himself that it hadn't occurred to him that he was wrong. After all, it was just an android, a machine without feelings, right? Wrong. Nines was a deviant, he was alive. Why was Gavin so prejudiced against the android anyway? There was no logical reason. Nines had never made a mistake and Gavin never had had a negative experience with androids like Hank had. He just didn't understand the machines, they were different.   
The realization hit him like a punch in the gut. Gavin was a racist. He condemned all androids and behaved like an asshole towards them because they were different from himself.

Gavin couldn't think of anything else for the rest of the evening. He tried to find out why he had such prejudices against the androids, but found nothing. So, he began to deal intensively with the androids. Of course, he knew their rights, but not much more. He did not know how they worked. Neither did he know about their history. It might not be very extensive, but nevertheless it was worth researching. Gavin became more and more aware that androids were built with the goal of being modern slaves. Without free will, without a chance for freedom. The more Gavin studied the subject, the sick he became. People had celebrated this Kamski, even though he was the biggest asshole of all time. How could he create these androids after what had happened in human history? 

It was already the middle of the night when Gavin went to bed. He would hardly get any sleep, but this way he could at least process what he had learned. 

The next morning, after a few hours of sleep, Gavin was halfway rested. He made his breakfast as usual and was glad to be back to normal. Normality meant that Gavin was far too proud to admit that his prejudices were unfounded and that he was behaving like an asshole. He didn't want to admit that he was wrong. Didn’t want ... However, when he sat at his desk at the precinct next to Nines, he couldn’t get rid of what he learned the other day. Gavin appreciated his partner, he actually liked him. Nines was an excellent detective, they made a good team. 

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Gavin suddenly asked.  
Nines looked at him confused, but nodded. Gavin rose and headed for one of the empty interrogation rooms. With wrinkled forehead the android followed his partner. When the door behind him fell into the lock, Gavin stood nervously in the middle of the room. Confused, Nines watched him. He had no idea what the conversation might be about and why Gavin was so nervous about it.

"Listen," Gavin began. "I want to apologize. I realize I treat you like shit and you don't deserve it. I don't even have a reason for my behavior. You're a good cop, of course you are. You're the most advanced android, after all. Still, I want you to know I appreciate your work and I'm glad you're my partner. I've never enjoyed working with others, but you're okay. I can rely on you and you won't slow me down if I get too fixated on a case again. Now that I think about it, working with any human partner was probably doomed to failure anyway because they get tired and exhausted so quickly, but you can keep up with me. That's why we make such a good team. Long story short, I'm sorry, I'll get better."  
Waiting, Gavin looked at the android. As always, Nines was calm and composed, as if nothing in the world could upset him. However, by now Gavin knew his partner well enough to recognize the minimal smile on the android's lips.   
"I appreciate your apology, Detective. To be honest, I've always wondered why you always act like this, but since you acted like this towards everyone, I just assumed it was your normal behavior and didn't question it further."  
"Everyone else here has let me down one way or another and before that happens again, I'd rather keep them at arm's length by acting like an asshole. Many of the other cops have been my partners before, but they all couldn't keep up and their work ethic still gets on my nerves. We all have a lot to do, but it would go faster if some people would just try a little harder," explained Gavin, annoyed. "Anyway, you've never disappointed me and you're the best partner anyone could wish for. That's why you deserve better."  
Now Nines was really smiling. A broad, honest smile. Gavin had never seen this expression on the android's face before, but he wanted to see his partner this happy more often.   
"Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your honesty, and I'm glad we were able to work this out. I'm also glad to have you as a partner. It's not easy for a human to keep up with an android because we don't tire, but you're a worthy partner."  
After these words Gavin couldn’t help but return the smile. With this newfound unity, they went back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow for the finale :)


	31. #TouchStarved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, what a wild ride. I have literally no clue how I had done this with everything else going on, but I did it and I'm proud. I'm sorry that a lot of the chapters were so short, but anything else was too much to handle.
> 
> Whatever, I wanted to thank you all for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it. Speaking of commenting: I gift this chapter full of love, softness and fluff to SpringlockedSpectre and Syira. Both of you were commenting on almost every single chapter and it meant the world to me. You two made me smile so many times, I was in constant uwu mood when I read your comments. Thank you very, very much. So, this is for you guys.
> 
> Added to that, I just wanted to make a big shout out to every other author for the artfest. You all did AMAZING and I can't praise you enough for your incredible work. You all can be proud of yourself! I read as much as I can, you made me dream sweet things because I've read so much of your works before going to sleep. It calmed me down even after the roughest day. THANK YOU FOR BEING THIS AWESOME! I LOVE YOU!

Bored, Gavin sat on the couch in his apartment. Die Hard was on, but Gavin wasn't paying attention. His mind was with Nines. The android was undercover with Connor. They'd been undercover for a week. They had closed the case today, and Nines would finally come home, but Gavin had no idea when exactly. The two androids still had to drop off their equipment at the DPD and do some paperwork that couldn't be postponed. Since Gavin couldn't help Nines with that and would just sit around pointlessly, he had already gone home. However, there was nothing in the apartment to distract him. Gavin had already cleaned and tidied everything up in the last few days to have something to do. Perhaps, Gavin didn't just want to distract himself, but do the android a favor, because he knew that Nines hated mess. So, when he finally got home, he should be comfortable. 

While Gavin followed the events on the TV more or less attentively, his thoughts kept wandering to Nines. Gavin couldn’t imagine that he would miss the android so much. They had never been separated before. Since they knew each other, they had seen each other every day. Without him, the work in the DPD became a torture again and Gavin had to force himself to get up in the morning. They were an unbeatable team. Even better than Hank and Connor. They solved the vast majority of cases in the department. 

However, Gavin didn’t just miss Nines as his partner, he was simply missing in every situation. Gavin felt empty, like he was missing an arm. He missed the fake fights with the android.   
He missed the way the android grinned at him when he had won the last word.   
He missed giving the android this triumph. Only when he was talking to Nines, Gavin didn’t want to have the last word. Only with Nines he held back, because it made him soft every time when Nines grinned happily at him about the victory. Even now at the memory Gavin had to smile.   
He also missed all the small changes between them that had occurred after they had come together.   
Whenever Nines walked behind him to the break room, he let his hand slide over Gavin's shoulders.   
Whenever Gavin wanted to show Nines something on his computer, the android came very close. He stood behind him, supported himself on his shoulders and brought his face next to Gavin's. It was not uncommon for Gavin to give Nines a short kiss on the cheek when they were alone in the precinct.   
Whenever they had finished an operation, Nines stood in front of Gavin, let his hand slide once through Gavin's hair before it remained in his neck while Nines scanned Gavin and asked if he was okay.   
Gavin missed holding Nines' hand when they left the DPD.  
He missed going with Nines to their apartment.  
He missed being lovingly woken by Nines.

Gavin smiled melancholically and crawled Asshole, who had curled up in his lap. Immediately, she started purring. Gavin enjoyed the sound. It was reassuring and he realized how late it was already. His working day had been long and tiring. Gavin's hand moved more and more sluggishly through Assholes fur and a little later he had fallen asleep.

The sound of a key being turned in the lock woke Gavin up again. Sleepily, he opened his eyes and needed a moment to arrive in reality. It was dark and quiet. The TV had long since turned itself off. Asshole jumped off his lap and ran for the door. Before Gavin could get up, Nines was already sitting next to him on the couch. His scent blew around Gavin's nose and he was so happy to have the android back with him that he almost started to cry. Gently, Nines pulled Gavin into his arms.  
"Hey, baby, were you waiting for me?" the android asked quietly.   
"Well, at least I tried. What time is it?" Gavin asked with a rough voice.  
"It's already 1:13. Let's go to bed, you're tired."  
Nines rose and walked towards the bedroom. Gavin held him back. He grabbed Nines' hand and wordlessly hugged the android tightly.  
"I'm glad you're back," Gavin whispered.  
Without a moment of hesitation, Nines wrapped his arms around Gavin as well and pulled him even closer.  
"I missed you too, Gav."  
Gavin buried his face in Nines' crook and never wanted to let go of his boyfriend. He just wanted to stop time and stay in that moment forever.  
"Can we always be this close forever and ever?"  
Nines chuckled softly.  
"Of course."

As they separated, Gavin couldn’t tell how much time had passed.   
"How was your case? Did everything go well?" Gavin asked as he searched for injuries.  
"Just a little overworked. A few hours of rest and a glass of Thirium and I'll be as perfect as ever," Nines replied with a grin.   
"Well, I'll just get you your Thirium so you can keep up with me," Gavin teased.  
Hardly a step away from Nines, the android pulled him back again. Gavin wanted to make a stupid remark, but when he saw the intense look of the android, the words got stuck in his throat.  
"I missed you. So much," Nines whispered.  
"I missed you too. You have no idea how much.”  
Their lips met for a slow, gentle kiss that expressed all the things they wanted to say but could not put into words.   
"God, I love you so much," Gavin murmured at Nine's lips.  
"It is enough if you call me Nines", Nines replied.  
There it was again: Nines' triumphant grin. Gavin melted away, letting his lover win again. He couldn't destroy that smile for anything in the world. Instead of a reply, Gavin just shook his head in laughter before they both made themselves comfortable on the couch. While Nines told about his case, Gavin snuggled closer and closer to his boyfriend and enjoyed it as Nines started to scratch his head. The android watched the behavior with mild surprise. Even on good days Gavin wasn’t this affectionate. Although, Gavin found it pleasant to be touched by Nines, he didn't seek his closeness as much as now. Nines looked at Gavin with satisfaction. Who was he to complain about being close? Nines enjoyed it as much as Gavin. He was filled with gratitude. The android was grateful that there was someone who missed him, who waited for him and who was happy to see Nines again. 

The android scanned Gavin once again, he did it so many times, even though Gavin didn't want to, but he just had to make sure he was okay. His scan told him that Gavin had been asleep for a while. Smiling, he picked up the detective and carried him to bed. Gavin was already wearing his pajama, and Nines took something comfortable out of the closet before he went to bed too. As he pulled the blanket over them, Gavin woke up briefly. At least, he opened his eyes for a moment, but Nines doubted that Gavin noticed anything around him. Nevertheless, he slipped over to Nines, laid his head on his chest and growled contentedly.  
"I'm glad you're back, love. The bed was much too big without you," Gavin mumbled.  
"I'm glad too, baby," Nines replied, but Gavin had already fallen asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ... Well, that's it. No more "See you tomorrow :)"s. That's the end. I'll need some space for refilling my creativity, but I'm pretty sure I'll come back with more stuff about our favorite boys. Again: Thank you! I love you.


End file.
